


Shot In The Dark

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: ASSAULTED, Ambushed, Case, Damaged, Detectives, Deviants, Gen, Hurt, Mystery, Past, Rescue, Revenge, Trapped, Trust, Violence, WhoShotConnor?, Whodunnit? - Freeform, Wounded, dying, hostage, injured, shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: A hostage situation goes wrong leaving Connor wounded and fighting for his life while Hank tries to figure out who is responsible for the shooting. The suspect pool is small and a certain abrasive detective ends up taking center stage as the mystery becomes darker with every piece of evidence that comes to light. (*a "Whodunnit?" type of story)
Comments: 50
Kudos: 100





	1. Shot

_**May 22nd, 2039: 08:56pm - Detroit Michigan; Office Building on West Boulevard  
** _

The city of Detroit was tense as a report of a madman holding deviant androids hostage within the confines of an old office building brought the Detroit Police Department as well as a S.W.A.T. team to the heart of the chaos. While no name or identifying features of the madman had been given to the police or to the media those responding to the scene of the situation were well on their guard, armed and ready for anything to happen. The confirmed eight deviant hostages were all named, all identified and key figures within the deviant community as trusted advisors to New Jericho, and its four leaders.

Standing behind the parked Oldsmobile out in front of the building with his L.E.D. cycling in blue Connor visually scanned over the twenty story structure with his soulful brown eyes steadily moving back and forth, while his old quarter danced gracefully between his two hands. Police drones encircled the building causing a cascade of red and blue lights to glow over Connor's facade as a helicopter hovering overhead cause a downdraft of wind to whip his black tie about near his face.

Staring at the top floor of the building with his rogue lock of hair jumping about just above his left eye Connor accepted his newest mission. Flicking his coin back and forth between his hands Connor awaited the word of his partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, and prepared to make a move when the time came to finally act.

"Here's the deal, kid." Wearing a protective black Kevlar vest over his black and white stripy dress shirt Hank addressed the young deviant in a level tone of voice as he assessed the situation. "We got eight hostages, one unknown assailant and no idea how to reach them. Fowler says we need a skilled hostage negotiator to take the lead, and that means _you_."

"Me?" With his blue L.E.D. briefly flickering to yellow Connor was unsure of how to react. "I was summoned to my initial mission of hostage negotiation strictly because the person holding the little girl hostage was a deviant android."

"We know that, but we can't wait for another guy to show up and we know that you actually give a damn about android lives. We can't risk some out-of-town bigot showing up and letting eight innocent deviants die."

"...I see."

"Relax, kid. You'll do great." Noting Connor's current appearance Hank gave his deviant partner an odd look. "No vest?"

"No, I don't require one to negotiate."

"I hope you're right." Pointing with his thumb over his right shoulder Hank motioned to where Captain Fowler, Gavin Reed, Chris Miller and Tina Chen were all positioned with their weapons drawn, and all were wearing black tactical gear to protect themselves. "You'll lead us in and we'll follow."

Looking past Hank and to Captain Fowler the deviant detective waited for his commanding officer's silent nod of approval before stepping toward the building. Tonight it was Connor's turn to lead.

"Very well." Accepting his new role Connor formed the appropriate plan of action. "I'll head up to the nineteenth floor with the elevator. You follow me to the fifteenth floor and then trail upward from there on the Eastern stairwell, while everyone else uses the stairwell on the Western corner from the ground floor up to ensure the suspect doesn't try to flee. I'll disable the elevators for thirty minutes as a precaution once I reach the correct floor myself."

"Why the nineteenth floor?"

"I don't detect any movement on the twentieth floor. If the suspect is aware that the police can get to him from the roof on the very top floor then whoever they are must be familiar with police protocol, and will undoubtedly be armed. We cannot risk them opening fire on responding officers or members of the S.W.A.T. team by mistake."

"Right. I'll pass the word to Fowler and follow you inside."

Turning to face the building once more Connor pocketed his coin and made his way to the front door at a slow and steady pace. The large door slid open automatically as Connor approached and gave the deviant negotiator access to the building. Glancing about the main receptionist area of the ground floor Connor's eyes trailed upward toward the four corners of the room where he spotted four identical and fully functional security cameras.

Focusing on the cameras Connor managed to cybernetically disable the cameras throughout the entire building to ensure that the person holding the eight deviants hostage couldn't see Connor coming for him.

"I'm inside." Connor stated aloud as he cybernetically linked with the radios outside connecting himself to Hank and the other officers acting as his back-up during the hostage situation. "I believe my entrance hasn't been detected."

' _10-4_.' Captain Fowler confirmed over the radio as he acknowledged Connor's comment. ' _Keep going and keep us updated_. _We're on our way in_.'

"Understood."

Continuing to the elevator across the large lobby Connor pressed his right palm to the 'call' button and summoned the elevator to the appropriate floor. As the doors opened Connor detected his back-up entering the building and heading over to the elevator as well.

"Ready, kid?" Hank asked as and Connor entered the elevator together.

"Yes." Pressing the button for the fifteenth and then the eighteenth floors Connor confirmed he was ready. "You ascend from the stairwell on the fifteenth floor and I'll ascend through the eighteenth to ensure the suspect doesn't open fire on the elevator."

"Good call. I'd hate for you to get shot before you can even try to be the voice of reason."

"I agree. It would be most unfortunate to be damaged during my mission."

The elevator reached the fifteenth floor and Hank raised his gun before himself as he slowly stepped out of the doors. Checking the perimeter he found the area to be clear and made his way toward the doorway of the stairwell to begin climbing up to the correct floor.

As the elevator doors shut before him Connor couldn't help but feel as though he were somehow being watched. Despite disabling all of the security cameras in the building he couldn't ignore the very palpable sensation of eyes staring at the back of his head from an unseen location.

"...This feeling." Watching as the doors slid back open on the correct floor Connor pulled his own gun from the holster wrapped around his back and tucked under his gray CyberLife jacket to arm himself. Just as Hank had done Connor checked the floor to ensure he wasn't going to be jumped and then made his way to the stairwell a few feet away. "...Is this what humans refer to as 'jumpy'?"

* * *

Taking his position on the Eastern stairwell at floor nineteen Hank radioed his team to confirm that he was in position and waiting for their next move. Stooping down a little to ensure his aim was clear and that his weapon wouldn't jam Hank preoccupied his thoughts with the single purpose of ending the hostage situation with as little bloodshed as possible. Hearing Captain Fowler confirming position on the Western stairwell was somewhat reassuring as it confirmed that the suspect couldn't flee the building, but that of course meant a confrontation was practically an inevitability.

Noting the faint blue glow of his black protective gear and Kevlar as it confirmed him as a police officer and not a threat made Hank think of the first time he met Connor and worked with the android who was wearing his discriminatory clothing to identify him as an android; a lesser being. Initially Hank wanted nothing to do with the android turned deviant, not he couldn't imagine himself clocking in at the precinct without him.

"Alright, kid. We're with you."

Checking his radio to ensure it was on the correct frequency and had a full charge Hank took in a deep settling breath to slow his adrenaline fueled heartbeat for a moment.

"Just give us the word and we'll be there beside ya'."

* * *

Trusting Connor's judgment on the situation Captain Fowler marched up the Western stairwell with Gavin, Chris and Tina following after him. Checking each door as they ascended the cold stairwell the dedicated officers and detectives ensured that the doors were all locked from within the stairwell to ensure that no one could sneak past them and escape their sight. With each door properly secured the four armed officers converged together on the correct floor and kept low to ensure they were out of potential harm in the event the unknown suspect tried to open fire on the quartet through the locked door before they had the chance to make their move.

Using the radio to maintain constant contact with Connor and Hank positioned elsewhere in the building Captain Fowler confirmed that they were all ready and waiting for their cue from within the stairwell. "In position. Standing by."

Checking her weapon for any potential sign of failure Tina positioned herself by the door on the opposite side of her Captain and addressed him in a low voice as to not draw any unwanted attention from someone who could be lurking on the other side of the door. "Any idea who this nutcase is?"

"Not yet, Chen. Keep your guard up."

"Yes, sir."

Speaking to his other officers Captain Fowler kept his eyes on the closed door and didn't even blink. "When we get word to move I'll take the lead, you three follow. Chen, you check the smaller offices for potential hostiles and victims."

"Right, sir."

"Miller," the young officer was standing just behind Tina and he had too had double-checked his weapon before making a move forward. "you hang back and cut off any fleeing suspects who may come back our way."

Replying with utter confidence Chris acknowledged his orders. "Yes, sir."

"Reed, the moment we get the word to go through the door you're with me. You cover my 'six'."

There was no response to the order which in turn made Captain bark at the silent Sergeant behind him.

"Reed? You acknowledge your orders when they're given."

Silence.

"Damn it, Reed." Turning to face and discipline the disrespectful Sergeant as needed Captain Fowler was greeted with opened space much to his surprise. The Sergeant was nowhere to be seen, and there was no sign of his person anywhere. "What the fuck? Where's Reed?"

"I don't know." Tina admitted as she was also surprised to see that her partner was curiously absent. "I didn't seem him break away from the group."

"Fuckin' hell. The moment I see his ass I'm going to-"

A loud gunshot rang out from somewhere on the above floor and cut the seasoned detective off mid sentence. Returning his full attention to the door Captain Fowler raised his weapon and grabbed his radio to get an update on the situation. "Report. What's-" A second gunshot rang out and there was no point in waiting to figure out what happened. "Shit! Follow my lead!"

As the door was kicked open Captain Fowler led the way into the main office area and began visually sweeping the floor in search of the assailant, the hostages and the hostage negotiator.

"Report your location!" Shouting into the radio as he entered the floor with Tina and Chris behind him Captain Fowler maintained control over the situation as he attempted to locate every person of interest. "Report now."

The radio remain curiously quiet as the trio of officers attempted to locate their missing people and keep the situation contained.

Frustrated and on the verge of snapping Captain Fowler shouted into the radio again. "Someone answer me, damn it!"

A third gunshot rang out and everyone hastened their pace in response.

"What the fuck is going on?"

* * *

From his own position in the Eastern stairwell Hank too heard the gunshots on the nineteenth floor and moved quickly. Kicking down the door of the stairwell Hank marched through the opened office space in search of the shooter, the hostages and more importantly in his partner. Keeping his gun aimed forward Hank glanced about the opened floor space and waited for any sign of movement or sound during his search. Using only his training as his guide to keep his mind from racing and his hands steady Hank kept to the walls, and stayed low.

The sound of whimpering from near the center of the room pulled his attention toward the noise, his movements slow and cautious. Locating the eight blindfolded deviant hostages all kneeling on the floor together in a circle; the hostages were all facing out of the circle with their hands bound beyond their back as they were forced to kneel in the middle of the room, Hank looked for any sign of the shooter still in the area.

It was an eclectic group of hostages, the only thing they had in common was their deviancy.

The group was of four females and four males. They were all of average models, builds and aesthetics. Two of the females were wearing business professional attire; blouses and black dress slacks, while a third was wear a thick dark coat and long dark skirt, and the fourth female was wearing a mini skirt with black pantyhose and red tank top.

The four men were all the more varied in their clothing. One was wearing a full business suit, the second was wearing an electrician's jumpsuit, the third was wearing casual clothing of blue jeans and a red t-shirt and the fourth was wearing hospital scrubs.

How the hostages were chosen, gathered together and why they were being held in the office building were all questions that still needed to be answered.

"Hostages located and accounted for on the nineteenth floor." Hank spoke into his radio to give an update on the unusual situation at hand. "No sign of the shooter. Repeat: No sign of the shooter."

Captain Fowler's voice sounded off over the radio sounding almost relieved. ' _10-4_. _We're moving to your location now_.'

"Detroit Police." Hank announced his presence as he knelt down beside one of the hostages. Gently pulling the blindfold from her blue eyes Hank stared at the blonde haired deviant who bore a striking resemblance to North, and gave her a confident nod of his head. "We got the situation under control. Do you know where the shooter went?"

"N-No." With her voice shaking the deviant tried to answer Hank's question. Her red tank top was stained with her fallen tears. "We never saw them or heard them speak."

"Shit. Stay here and be patient. We'll get ya' out of here."

Standing back up Hank resumed his sweep of the floor and caught a whiff of gunpowder in the air. Following the scent Hank located the source and felt his stomach knot tightly within seconds. In the distant corner of the room Hank's eyes came to rest on Gavin hovering over Connor as the deviant remained silent and motionless where he sat.

A puddle of fresh Thirium was pooling beneath the deviant's body...

"Shit! Connor?!" Rushing over to his partner Hank pulled Gavin back with a forceful jerk before he fell to his knees again, and pressed his hands down over the two bullet wounds in Connor's chest to try to stem the bleeding as much as possible. The deviant had been shot twice; once in his left shoulder and second time in his central portion of his chest precariously close to his heart. "Connor! Connor, open your eyes!"

Connor had been left sitting in a slumped position in the Northern corner of the room after being shot. There were two bullet holes in the wall behind him, one concealed behind his head after he slid down the wall leaving a blood trail behind, the second was still visible in the wall for all to see. With his L.E.D cycling in a deep red color at a frighteningly slow pace, and with a faint trickle of blood running down the right corner of his mouth, Connor already looked dead.

"Hang on, son! I'm going to get you out of here!"

"Hey!" Gavin's voice sounded off from behind Hank as he regained his balance and resumed staring at Connor slowly bleeding to death. Unfamiliar with the proper police code for an android in distress Gavin broke protocol and yelled into the radio. "We need tech up here! Move it!"

"Connor..." Pressing his palms down harder against the wounds Hank tried to elicit a pained response from the deviant to try to get Connor to wake up, but no matter how hard he pressed down on the wounds Connor remained unconscious. "Connor, I know you can hear me. Just hold on, help's coming and we're going to get you to a technician."

Blue blood oozed from between Hank's fingers as he pressed his right palm firmly over the wound nearest Connor's heart. The consistency of the gushing blood was perfectly synchronized with Connor's heartbeat which in turn made Hank pale as he realized that the bullet managed to damage Connor's Thirium pump as it passed through his body.

"Hold on, son. You're going to be just fine." Turning to look at Gavin standing behind him Hank angrily snarled at the Sergeant to get him back into motion and do his job. "Reed! Get your ass moving! Find the fucking shooter, NOW!"

Unable to respond verbally Gavin just backed away and drew his weapon to begin searching for the shooter as ordered.

"Connor, I need you to open your eyes." Pleading with the deviant to look at him Hank just held the pressure and continued to speak to Connor so he could have a familiar and trusted voice to listen to. "I know you can hear me. I just need you to respond and look at me for one second. Please..."

What felt like hours passed by when in reality it was only a few minutes as Connor remained unresponsive.

Captain Fowler located Hank as he applied pressure to Connor's wounds in an attempt to stop the profuse bleeding from the downed deviant's chest. A frighteningly large amount of Connor's own blood had saturated his white dress shirt staining it a deep sapphire blue as he bled profusely from the bullets still embedded in his chest and shoulder.

"Emergency technicians are on their way, Hank." Kneeling down on the other side of Connor as he remained slumped against the corner. Pressing his left fingertips to Connor's right temple the loyal Captain checked on the deviant's L.E.D. and grimaced at the crimson color. "The elevators should be operational by now, so we can get him to the nearest Android Emergency Care Facility as soon as they can get to him."

"He's losing too much blood." Shaking his head a little Hank gave his commanding officer a desperate glance. "We need to get him down to the technicians instead of waiting for the technicians to come up to us."

"Is it safe to move him?"

"It can't be any more dangerous than letting him sit here and bleed out with bullets in his chest!" Moving his hands away slowly Hank repositioned himself to Connor's left side and slipped his arms beneath the deviant's upper back and knees to scoop him up to hold in his arms bridal style. As Connor's head lolled to the side and came to rest on Hank's right shoulder the senior detective felt panic pooling in his stomach. "Get me clear passage to the elevator."

As much as he hated the idea of Hank carrying a wounded officer around before help arrived Captain Fowler knew that if anyone was looking out for Connor's best interests it was Hank himself. "Right, let's move."

With Connor unconscious and bleeding in his arms Hank marched through the floor and over to the elevator as Captain Fowler ordered everyone to take a step back and give the Lieutenant space to move. Tina and Chris stifled their gasps of horror upon seeing Connor's bloodied body in Hank's arms, while Gavin lowered his gaze from the sight as he too backed away as ordered.

The eight deviant hostages had been freed from their bindings and were all gathered together behind the three officers as the hostage situation had finally come to an end. The shooter had managed to flee the building and elude police capture as the six responding officers all failed to detect their location within the building itself. There were no witnesses and no clues as to where the shooter had gone, no one knew who they were, or why they had shot Connor before disappearing into the night.

The case was already growing cold.

As soon as Hank stepped through the parted elevator doors the senior detective pressed his right palm awkwardly against the button directing the elevator down to the ground floor, and promptly tightened his grip around Connor's limp form still bleeding heavily in his arms.

Captain Fowler put his hands to his hips as the elevator doors closed and promptly turned around to face Gavin as the previously M.I.A. Sergeant stood back alongside Tina and Chris. "Reed, get your ass over here."

Jumping at Captain Fowler's baritone voice Gavin took a begrudging step forward and proceeded to stand before his commanding officer. "Sir?"

"Explain yourself, Sergeant." Glaring fiery holes into Gavin's head Captain Fowler impatiently awaited answers. "Where the fuck were you?"

* * *

Staring blankly forward at his reflection on the closed elevator doors Hank tried to ignore all the blue blood covering Connor's body that was now soaking into his own protective gear. Despite the gear being black tinted fabric it was still possible to see the dark blue staining the gear as Connor's wounds continued to bleed in small gushes with every beat of his steadily slowing heart. The deviant was still breathing but every breath he took was shallow, strained and becoming slower as his lost his strength.

"Hold on, son." Forcing his voice to remain stable Hank let out a single breath as fought to keep his frayed nerves from breaking down any further. "You're strong and you're stubborn. You can handle this."

The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened with a chipper 'ding' to let Hank pass through. Stepping into the lobby of the office building Hank was met with additional officers who were posted outside the building and proceeded to escort Hank and Connor outside to where the android unique ambulance had just arrived, and the E.R.T.'s (Emergency Repair Technicians) opened up the back of the emergency vehicle to allow Hank to carry their patient over to be tended to.

"He's been shot." Hank explained as he climbed into the back of the ambulance and gently laid Connor down on the soft gurney to be examined. "Two clean shots; through and through." The amount of blood that saturated Hank's right sleeve confirmed that the bullets created two wounds; in the front and back of Connor's body, and caused Connor to bleed twice as fast. "I don't know the caliber of the bullets."

The more senior technician gave Hank a curious glance as she pulled away Connor's black tie and then pulled open the buttons on the ruined previously white dress shirt to expose Connor's bleeding chest. "How long has he been down?"

"I don't know." Seeing the two bullet wounds on full display made Hank's already upset stomach want to rebel against him. "Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes."

Applying android unique gauze over the two wounds on Connor's chest the technician then used a sharp pair of surgical scissors to cut away the sleeves of Connor's gray suit jacket and white dress shirt to completely remove the damaged garment from his body. With the aid of her younger male partner the two technicians lifted Connor up from the gurney just enough to apply additional gauze to the injuries to his back, then lowered Connor back down to rest flat on his back atop the gurney during transport to the Emergency Care Facility.

"Get me a Thirium pressure reading." The lead technician stated as she pulled her audioscope (a stethoscope designed specifically to pierce through the thick plastimetal frame of a deviant's chest) and used the tool to listen to Connor's struggling heartbeat and breathing. Both his Thirium pump and his ventilation biocomponents; artificial lungs, were functioning on low power. "Heartbeat is steady but slow. Limited ventilation sounds on the left, but still completely functional on the right."

The second technician had wrapped a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep and watched as the wrap automatically tightened and gave the duo a view of Connor's Thirium pressure in digital numbers on the wrap's attached display. "His Thirium pressure is down to one-hundred even over sixty."

"Too low. Hang a pint of Thirium and start a line in his left arm."

"We're using a line instead of ingestion?"

"He's too weak to swallow the Thirium on his own." The more experienced technician explained as she turned on a nearby Thirial activity monitor (the android equivalent to a cardiac monitor) and attached the wireless leads to Connor's bloodied chest. "And we can't risk the blood going directly into his chest in the event the bullet nicked his main intake line running down his throat to his artificial stomach."

"Right."

Feeling like he was about to pass out Hank made a move to step out of the ambulance to get some air and asked the obvious questions. "Which facility is he going to?"

"He's going to the largest facility over on Tenth Street." The lead technician confirmed as she noted Connor's overall vital signs on the activity monitor. "You can ride up front and escort him to the facility if you like."

Taking in a deep breath as he exited the back of the ambulance Hank looked to the technician and gave her a truly worried stare. "...He's strong. Don't let his appearance fool ya'."

"Don't worry." Smiling kindly the technician gave Hank a reassuring glance to ease his righteous concerns. "We'll take good care of him and we won't let him go without a fight."

Nodding once Hank closed the two read doors and made his way toward the front cab of the emergency vehicle. Staring down at his right hand covered in Connor's blood the senior detective watched his palm trembling and clenched it into a tight fist to stop his hand from shaking. Forcing himself to stay grounded and emotionally strong on his partner's behalf Hank climbed into the front cab of the ambulance and told the driver to go ahead and take off.

The sirens started blaring and the blue lights flashed brightly in the darkness of the night as the vehicle sped off to the facility six blocks away.

Peering through the window that connected the front cab to the back of the ambulance to watch as the two technicians battled to get Connor's bleeding under control Hank fought the urge to throw-up and tried to figure out what the hell happened up on that office floor that grim night.

"Hang on, kid. We'll get you through this mess."

* * *

_**May 22rd, 2039: 10:55pm - The Precinct  
** _

The eight deviant hostages were all taken back to the precinct for questioning while Captain Fowler continued to reprimand Gavin for being uncharacteristically absent during the hostage situation in his private office. Tina and Chris were interviewing the hostages one at a time in the private interview rooms while Detective Ben Collins had the misfortune of leading a C.S.I. team to the office building to examine the scene of the shooting, and gather evidence. With any luck they'd be able to pick up the missing shooter's trail, and find them before they disappeared for good.

Writing down each detail with meticulous accuracy Tina spoke to the female blonde deviant Hank had briefly spoken to at the building, and asked her as many questions as she thought were necessary. "Okay, Belinda. I only have a few more questions and then you can go."

"Yes, okay." The deviant was nervous and having trouble sitting still in her seat as she wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive manner. She kept fidgeting with her legs as if nervous or uncomfortable. "I'll help in any way that I can."

"Thank you for your cooperation, I know you're eager to just get back home so you can relax, so we appreciate your help."

"Yes, of course."

Noting Belinda's discomfort Tina tried to lighten the mood with a small joke. "I hate wearing pantyhose, too. Part of the reason I became a cop is we get to wear these uniforms and we get to carry a taser as an accessory."

Belinda was not amused and just gave Tina an odd look.

"...It was a joke."

"I know." Fussing a little with her skirt and pantyhose as if the material was bothering her Belinda dismissed the remark coldly. "I just don't feel like laughing."

"Right, sorry. Now..." Tapping her stylus on the table top as she studied her tablet screen Tina went over the collected details and asked for more information regarding the hostage situation and shooting. "I understand that you didn't get a chance to see the shooter's face, and that you were blindfolded. Correct?"

"Yes. Whoever did this struck me from behind, and when I rebooted I was blindfolded and had my hands behind my back. I was kneeling with the other hostages and we couldn't move."

"When you were struck from behind did the shooter say anything?"

"No. Not a word."

"Can you give me an idea of how tall they were based on where they managed to strike you from behind?"

"No." Belinda shook her head a little as she spoke. It was clear she was nervous and wanting to leave the precinct as quickly as possible. "My short term memory has been corrupted from being struck."

"Damn. And the shooter didn't say or do anything that could give away their identity in any way?"

"No. They never spoke a word. I don't know if the shooter was male or female."

"Can you confirm that it was only _one_ assailant in the room who did this?"

"Yes. I only sensed the seven other deviants around me and the shooter in the room. Another person showed up and then I heard the shots. That's when I realized the new person was the hostage negotiator and that the shooter opened fire on him for no reason."

"Do you know what caused the shooter to attack the hostage negotiator?" The question seemed vague and almost desperate. "Was there a verbal exchange that provoked the shooting, or a physical altercation to led to the shooting?"

"No. The negotiator didn't even have the chance to speak. He was just... shot. He had entered the office area only two point four seconds before the first shot was fired."

Making her notes Tina tried to keep the line of questions flowing smoothly to ensure accurate answers and memories. "Why were you and the other seven deviants taken as hostages to begin with?"

"I don't know. I never met the other seven before this night. I was leaving work, everything went black and then the next thing I knew I was in that building."

"Where do you work?"

Falling into shameful silence Belinda didn't answer the question. She was professional escort for rich humans.

"It's okay. We all gotta' make a living somehow. No judgment from me." Sighing with defeat Tina was clearly on edge and ready to go out and find the shooter all by herself so she could finally get the case closed. "...Okay. Thank you for your time." Sliding Belinda a business card with the precinct's contact info Tina dismissed the witness for the night. "If you think of anything more call us, but do know we'll be in touch for the next few days until we get this situation handled."

"I understand." Accepting the card Belinda slowly rose from the chair and took her leave of the interview room as Tina followed after her. "I'll try to find a way to help the investigation further Officer Chen."

"Just take the rest of the night to take care of yourself." Offering the deviant a kind smile Tina showed her to the front of the precinct to take her leave. "We'll handle the dirty work."

While Belinda walked out of the precinct and into the night Tina turned around and gave her partner a passing glance through the transparent wall of Captain Fowler's office where he was still being chewed out by Fowler himself. Gavin had refused to say why he failed to respond with his fellow officers as ordered, and seemed to be holding his silence out of some form of unexplainable shame, or even guilt.

Walking into the breakroom Tina tried to busy her mind with a cup of tea, but she couldn't seem to focus long enough on the mini project at hand thanks to the craziness of the night distracting her every waking thought.

"You didn't have much luck with the witnesses either, huh?" Joining Tina in the breakroom Chris poured himself a cup of coffee and watched as Tina fumbled with trying to select a baggie of tea to brew. "My witnesses weren't exactly witnesses to anything. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Same. I don't think we'll get anywhere with the small amount of information we have now."

"Ditto." Sipping at his coffee Chris subtly nodded at Captain Fowler's officer where Gavin was still being yelled at. It had been almost an hour since the first round of interviews began and soon the second round would begin. "Do you know what Gavin's deal is?"

"No. He's never ducked out of a situation like that before," Tina stated honestly as she knew Gavin better than anyone else in the precinct. "and he didn't say a single word about it to me. He's been very quiet as of late."

"Weird."

"Yeah... Very."

"Any word on Connor?"

Pulling her phone from her pocket Tina saw that her phone display was blank and she let out a weary sigh in response. "No... Nothing yet."

"Damn."

"Do you think he'll pull through?" Her usually chipper demeanor suddenly darkened at the thought. "He was so weak and looked... lifeless."

"Hey, we're talking about Connor here." Trying to be optimistic Chris did his best to keep his friend's spirits up. "He's too damn stubborn to go down like that."

"Yeah, you're right." Still worried about the fate of the deviant Tina sighed and finally selected on chamomile tea to help her finally calm her frayed nerves. "I just wish we didn't have to sit back and wait for an update. I hate feeling helpless like this."

_**-next chapter-** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think you know what happened please don't spoil it in the comments until the final chapter. Don't want to ruin it for the other readers! ;)


	2. Clues

_**May 22nd, 2039: 11:42pm - Tenth Street Facility** _

It was a hollow and haunting feeling as Hank stared at Connor through the thick glass observation window of the emergency repair theater; the android equivalent to a human operating room. Seeing Connor so still and lifeless, his L.E.D. blinking in a frighteningly slow red color in his right temple, an external air intake line snaked down his throat to force his ventilation system to work despite being put in emergency stasis mode, a Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep, a pint of Thirium running into the bend of his right arm through an external line and the wireless leads of the Thirial activity monitor attached to his chest only made Hank's stomach tighten into a painful knot. But it was the sight of Connor's chest and abdomen completely exposed as his artificial skin was retracted away from his torso and seeing the two technicians literally wrist deep inside of Connor's opened chest and covered in his blue blood made Hank want to throw-up.

In Hank's eyes Connor was just a kid, and by all definition Connor truly was. The deviant was barely nine months old and had only been deviant for six of those nine months. He was still innocent, sometimes naive and so curious about the world, and it made Hank think of how a small child first begins to explore the world for the very first time.

Crossing his arms over his chest Hank stared at the scene of the emergency repairs with a heavy heart and tried to ignore the urge to run out and hide into a bar until the procedure was mercifully over. The idea of emergency repairs reminded Hank so much of a human needing emergency surgery, and the prospect made the senior detective's stomach turn violently and threatened to rebel against him in a very messy and unflattering manner.

"Hang on, son." Pressing his left hand over his bearded chin in deep contemplation Hank forced himself to continue to watch as the technicians repaired the damage inflicted upon Connor's body by the two passing bullets. "You made it this far, don't you give up now."

The two technicians assisting Connor were familiar faces. The lead technician was a young woman with long brunette hair, hazel eyes and a slender build. Dr. Abby Grayson had been previously employed in Chicago as an E.M.S., but moved to Detroit and became a full time technician. She had met Connor a few times before in less than graceful circumstances had brought him into her care after being damaged while on the clock.

As for Abby's assistant he was a deviant named 'Barry', and had been one of the hundreds of 'Jerry' models of androids left to rot in the abandoned 'Pirate's Cove' amusement park outside of the city. Barry had broken away from the other Jerry deviants and become his own person by renaming himself and leaving the hive mind that had been part of the Jerry programming.

Working quickly and in perfect tandem the two technicians managed to locate and repair the damaged Thirium lines in his chest and stopped the bleeding at long last. However upon inspecting the internal biocomponents the technicians' hands flew into a frenzy and began to apply pressure to the additional damage that had been previously unseen until the excessive blue blood had been drained from the wound.

"That can't be good..."

Right on cue the Thirial activity monitor began to screech as Connor's Thirium pump; his heart, began beating frantically as the two technicians tried to remedy the very minuscule damage that the pump had received.

" _Thirium pump compromised_." Abby announced as she and Barry work to stabilize Connor's heart. Her voice was muffled somewhat by the thick window separating Hank from the repair theater. " _Small nick to the lower right quadrant of the pump_. _Barry, give me an analysis_."

The deviant ran a scan over the vital biocomponent and informed Abby of the damage as a whole. " _Four centimeter laceration to the right ventricle_. _The Thirium loss is approximately fourteen cc's with each beat_."

" _Shit_. _We need to apply an incrassation applique to stop the hemorrhage before he goes into insipid shock_."

" _I'll hang a second point of Thirium to prevent shock from setting in_."

From the other side of the window Hank felt himself pale and watched in horror as additional Thirium was pumped into Connor's body almost as quickly as he was losing it. Once the severed Thirium lines were repaired all of the blue blood was redirected properly to Connor's heart, which meant every beat made the blood gush out in small spurts through the opened laceration.

"Fuck... Hold on, Connor!" Staring with wide eyes Hank pleaded with the deviant to somehow find the strength to overcome his own system shutting down and remain active until his heart could be repaired. Watching Abby work alongside Barry to put a dark purple patch down into Connor's chest, the patch itself was rectangular in shape and just a little longer and wide than the laceration in Connor's heart, Hank could only wait and hope that whatever that patch was going to do it would do it fast. "You'll be just fine, son. Help is here and you're not alone."

" _Patch is holding_." Barry confirmed as he and Abby watched Connor's heart beating arrhythmically and looked for any sign of additional bleeding. " _Hemorrhage is under control_."

" _Okay_... _Now_ ," speaking calmly and professionally Abby used a small suction device to drain the pooled blood from Connor's chest cavity. " _we need to check his ventilation biocomponents, Thirium filter and sterilization filters to ensure they weren't physically compromised by the shock of the bullet passing through his body_."

" _Right away, Dr. Grayson_."

"That's it..." Letting out a cleansing breath of relief Hank watched as Connor hung on despite his heart being damaged and losing a dangerous amount of blue blood. For just a moment Hank had a dreaded flashback of the night Cole was injured in the car accident and didn't survive long enough to make into the operating room before his injuries proved fatal. "Don't go, kid. Please don't go yet. I need my partner and friend to keep my ass in line for a little while longer."

* * *

_**May 22nd, 2039: 11:44pm - The Precinct** _

The precinct was tense as the final witnesses were all questioned and had their statements taken by the detectives who were working to find out what happened during that tense hostage negotiation that had ended in a violent outcome. Unfortunately the witnesses all had identical statements regarding the situation and confirmed that the eight hostages were all blindfolded and couldn't give a description of the shooter who started the whole mess, and none of the hostages could recall the shooter speaking or doing anything else that could potentially give away their identity or motivation for taking the hostages and opening fire on Connor.

Within the transparent walls of his private office Captain Fowler pressed his left hand to his brow as he rubbed at his tired eyes and sipped at his coffee with his right hand. The details being uploaded to his terminal screen were less than ideal and the higher-ups were impatiently waiting for him to file his own report on the shooting of his own detective acting as a hostage negotiator.

Needless to say everyone was feeling the heat of the investigation on that grim night.

"What I wouldn't give for some belligerent asshole running their mouth and taking credit for this entire mess right about now."

Sighing to himself as he tried to remain fully focused on the sparse details Captain Fowler just resigned to himself and only periodically glanced out through the transparent wall of his office to watch his detectives struggling with the exact same case in the exact same way. The lack of three of his detectives; Connor who was wounded, Hank who was at the facility with Connor as he received treatment, and now Gavin who had been suspended for his attitude and inability to account for his presence during the shooting, only made the situation all the more difficult.

"Chris, Tina and Ben can only do some much when half the detectives working on this case aren't even here."

Leaning back in his chair Captain Fowler pulled his phone out of the top left drawer of his desk and checked to see if there had been any update on Connor's condition from Hank, but much to his dismay his phone was blank. The lack of an update wasn't necessarily a bad sign or anything worth stressing over, however the lack of information regarding the situation as a whole was very disconcerting.

"No witnesses, no security footage and no trace of the shooter."

With a heavy heart and equally heavy eyelids the seasoned Captain took another sip of his lukewarm coffee and stared straight ahead at the eight similar witness statements as he desperately tried to find something, anything, that could give the precinct a lead on the shooter who eluded the entire responding police force like a shadow disappearing into the night.

"How in the hell can we have eight people caught right in the middle of this bullshit and STILL not have any information for us to use?"

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 01:02am - Tenth Street Facility** _

Struggling to stand as his physical exhaustion began to rival his emotional fatigue Hank watched as Connor's chest was closed back up through the window showing him the interior of the repair theater, and held his breath as he watched Abby and Barry place protective android unique gauze bandages over his chest and back where the bullets had torn through his body. Despite the internal lines, biocomponents and plastimetal frame being repaired by the skilled technicians Connor's artificial skin had yet to regenerate properly. The bandages would keep the wounds covered until they could fully heal, but even so there was a chance Connor could still suffer some form of unseen complication due to his prototype design.

Watching as Connor was patched up and then transferred from the repair table and onto a gurney for transport Hank could feel his back and his knees aching, begging him to sit down and relax for just a moment, but the dedicated detective refused to go anywhere until he knew where Connor was being taken.

Staring at the deviant orderlies tending to Connor through the window Hank had lost track of Abby and Barry, and nearly threw a punch when the kind woman put her right hand on his tense left shoulder. "Fuckin'-" Turning to face Abby at his left side Hank tried to relax and lowered his voice as his right fist relaxed at his side. "...Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Retracting her hand Abby noted Hank's stressed demeanor with a careful eye. She purposely kept her arms over top of her abdomen to hide the surprising amount of Connor's blood staining her dark red scrub top. "You're not the first person who jumped when I walked up behind them."

"How's Connor?"

"Holding his own." Crossing her arms over her chest Abby nodded toward a nearby pair of chairs against the closest wall and coaxed Hank into sitting down for the first time in almost four hours. As she sat down with Hank in the chairs the kind technician remained completely honest with the gruff Lieutenant. "Due to the severity of his wounds Connor will have to remain in the facility until he fully regains consciousness."

"Fuck... The kid hates being stuck in facilities."

"I know, I'm the one who has to keep reminding him that he isn't indestructible while I'm actively bandaging his injuries."

"Right... Yeah."

"Look, he's strong and he's stubborn." Abby tried to comfort Hank as much as possible without coddling him or blowing smoke in the process. "Most androids would've succumbed to that type of injury within minutes, but the way Connor has learned to prioritize his life above his duty has effectively saved him tonight. If you hadn't encouraged him to pursue his deviancy and constantly reminded him that his life was more important than any case you two were working on then he might not have made it this far. His focused his self healing program on his wounds and didn't try to remain conscious which gave his body the boost in power it needed to keep his heart beating."

"Abby," lowering his eyes to the floor at his feet Hank sighed and folded his hands together to rest atop his lap. "how bad were his injuries?"

A frown darkened her face as she remained honest with the detective. "...Bad."

Leaning forward Hank's shoulders slumped as if a tremendous weight was placed on his back upon hearing the confirmation. "Shit."

"The first bullet passed through his upper chest and only nicked a few internal Thirium lines that caused him to bleed into his chest. The second bullet..." Trailing off for a moment Abby took in cleansing breath and used that calm action to maintain her professional demeanor. "The second bullet just grazed the Thirium pump; his heart, and caused a bleeding laceration to the vital biocomponent."

"...You repaired it, right?"

"Yes. A special applique laced with incrassation compound, a chemical that helps Thirium to clot like human blood, had closed the wound and will keep Connor from bleeding internally while his self healing program mends the damage to the pump itself. The bullet passed so closely to his pump that Connor was an actual heartbeat away from permanent shutdown."

"What?" Looking at Abby beside him with a perplexed glance Hank didn't understand how he could've possibly been that close to death. "How is that even possible?"

"I mean Connor's heart was mid beat when the bullet pierced his chest. If his heart had finished the beat and fully relaxed just milliseconds before being shot then the bullet would've passed through the entire lower right ventricle of his heart, rather than just grazing the heart as it passed by. Whoever shot him," her voice dipped despondently as she recounted Connor's condition to Hank. "was shooting to kill."

* * *

**_May 23rd, 2039: 04:22am - The Precinct_ **

Yawning for the umpteenth time that very late night, (or what it early morning?) Tina decided that her usual choice of tea wasn't going to cut it anymore and decided to go for some coffee instead. Unable to stand the bitterness of black coffee the young officer used an large amount of sugar that Connor would deem illogical, but knew Hank would deem completely normal, and added a touch of cream to cut down on the sharpness of the flavor before she even took a sip. Stirring the coffee with a small spoon Tina stared down at her tired reflection on the surface of the dark drink and slumped down in a chair in the breakroom out of everyone's sight for just a moment.

Feeling somehow lonely and a little lost Tina pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a text to Gavin to see if he'd be willing to talk about what happened, or at least be a shoulder to lean on even from afar.

' _Can you talk, Gav_?'

There was a pause before a response text was typed up and sent to Tina as she awaited the reply. ' _Yeah_. _What's going on_?'

' _The case has stalled, we're all swamped and no one knows what the hell happened_.'

' _Don't know what to tell you_.'

' _You could start with telling me what the hell happened on your end at the shooting_. _Where were you_?'

There was a longer pause before Gavin sent another reply. ' _Don't worry about it_.'

' _Don't do that_. _Answer me_.'

' _Why_?'

' _Because I'm your friend_! _What's going on with you_?'

A long pause preceded the following text. ' _I gotta' go_.'

' _Damn it, don't shut me out_!'

There was no response and by all account Gavin had turned off his phone to hide out in the depths of his lonely apartment. The abrasive Sergeant valued his privacy and often harbored dark secrets that came back to haunt him through nightmares, stress and emotional instability.

"What the hell, Gavin?" Pocketing her phone Tina took a begrudging sip of her coffee and grimaced at the foul taste. She simple hadn't acquired the taste for coffee and only drank it when she desperately needed a boost in caffeine to handle particularly trifling cases. "You were doing so good with opening up and not shutting yourself off from the world." Pushing her mug away with indifference Tina leaned back in her hair and crossed her arms over her chest with mounting frustration. "What's happening in this city tonight?"

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 04:26am - Tenth Street Facility** _

Standing near the doorway of the private recovery room Hank stared silently at the sight of his partner, his best friend and honorary second son, laying in the soft recovery bed with the external line still snaked down his throat to force him to ventilate while in deep emergency stasis mode to prevent overheating, and the Thirial activity monitor recording his vitals as his self healing program fought to repair his damaged heart. The red and slowly pulsing L.E.D. in Connor's right temple beat in tandem with the heart rate being displayed on the monitor attached to the wounded deviant's chest.

Almost afraid to approach Connor while he looked so weak and fragile all Hank could do was watch his partner from afar.

The door beside Hank automatically slid open as Abby entered the room and offered Hank a mug of steaming hot coffee. "Hey, I figured you'd might need this."

"...Thanks." Accepting the coffee Hank just held the steaming mug in his right hand and continued to watch Connor's chest slowly rise and fall with the forced ventilation filling his artificial lungs. It was as close to being put on life support as deviants could get. "Why does he look so pale?"

"His power levels are low and being focused primarily on his self healing program." Walking toward the bed to check in on her patient Abby explained things to Hank as simply as possible. "His artificial skin takes a noted amount of power to properly generate over his body, and the lack of power is allowing his white plastimetal frame to be somewhat visible through his thin skin."

"So it's... normal for him to be pale right now?"

"Yeah, this is to be expected." Pulling her audioscope from around her neck Abby put the ear buds in place and then pressed the bell of the device over Connor's chest atop the pale blue scrub top he was changed into after being admitted for treatment. "Heartbeat is slow but it's strong and consistent. I don't hear any congestion in his ventilation rate, either."

"That's all good, right?"

"Right." Checking the Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around Connor's left bicep as she draped her audioscope around her neck Abby noted that Connor's pressure was beginning to rise to a much more stable and nominal level. "And his pressure is coming up. The lines and patch are all holding, no internal bleeding whatsoever."

Letting out a silent sigh of relief Hank finally took a step toward the bed and looked down at Connor's pale face more directly. Watching as Abby lifted Connor's eyelids one at a time to shine a penlight into his pupils Hank could see the deviants brown irises and noticed they were glazed over, and his pupils didn't immediately adapt to the changes in light as they should. It was an almost human response.

"...Can he hear us?"

"To an extent." Letting Connor's eyes shut again Abby leaned back and pocketed her penlight. "He's aware of who's around him, speaking to him and that he's in a facility, but he may not remember every word being said or how he ended up in the facility to begin with."

"Do you know when he'll wake up?"

"I don't. With injuries this severe it'll take an extended period of time for his body to recover, and being a prototype means his reactions and rate of recovery is going to be entirely unique."

"Great, just great."

"Sit with him and talk to him. Who knows?" Passing by Hank to return to the doorway Abby gave the detective hiding his heart of gold a kind smile before she opened the door to leave. "Maybe hearing your voice will prompt him to wake up quicker."

"Yeah... Sure." Noticing a plastic chair against the wall Hank walked over to the chair and placed it beside the bed so he could stay beside the healing deviant. Disinterested in the provided coffee Hank set the cup aside and put his left palm to Connor's right shoulder in a comforting manner, and to ensure he didn't accidentally harm Connor's healing left portion of his chest. "Hey, kid. I don't have anywhere to go and I'm not going to work on a case without my partner. I'm going to stay here until you're awake, okay?"

As expected Connor remained silent as his body slowly healed in the recovery bed of the facility.

"Yeah, okay." Leaning back in his chair Hank sighed again and tried to resist sleep for as long as possible. "You do your thing and I'll do my thing."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 05:06am - Tenth Street Facility** _

The case was running cold and there was no sign of the shooter anywhere in the city. When word of Connor being gunned down while protecting eight innocent deviant hostages reached New Jericho Tower worry for Connor's life swept over the four leaders like a tide. Markus had elected to go and see Connor in the facility, and requested that North, Josh and Simon begin their own investigation into figuring out how the situation happened, and who was directly involved since deviants were seemingly the center of the drama.

Seeking out the eight deviant hostages would be a difficult task as the leaders all knew the eight deviants would undoubtedly go into hiding after enduring the traumatic experience. While the three remaining leaders at the tower attempted to reach out to the former hostages Markus made his way out to the tower via autonomous taxi.

Arriving at the facility just past five in the morning Markus was greeted by weary-eyed technicians, humans and androids alike, and managed to learn of Connor's current location through Barry. Being shown to the correct recovery room by the helpful deviant Markus stepped into the room silently and took great care to not disturb Hank, who had fallen asleep in the chair beside the bed, as he approached Connor to see his friend himself.

Hank was still wearing his protective gear from the hostage situation, and despite the dense layers secured over his person Hank didn't seem to be too uncomfortable. Or at the very least he was too preoccupied with Connor to complain about something as minor as uncomfortable clothing.

' _Connor_.' Cybernetically Markus attempted to contact with his comatose friend as he hovered his left hand over Connor's left forearm. Retracting the artificial skin from his palm Markus lightly picked up Connor's arm in an attempt to establish contact with him. ' _Connor, can you hear me_?'

The comatose deviant remained silent as the Thirial activity monitor displayed Connor's vital signs and confirmed that he was unable to provide the proper connection to speak with Markus on a cybernetic level.

' _I know you're still in there, my friend_.' Speaking on a level only Connor could hear Markus refused to just give up on the deviant yet. ' _We're all going to help find the person who hurt you and not give up on you_. _Stay strong_. _I'm here and Lieutenant Anderson is right beside you_. _You're not alone_.'

Taking in a deep breath Hank awoke from his light slumber as his cop instincts told him that there was someone else in the room with him. Opening his still tired eyes Hank looked up at Markus standing beside the bed on the opposite side of himself and spoke to the compassionate deviant leader in a low voice as to not startle him. "Markus? Is something wrong?"

"...No." Turning to look at Hank across the bed Markus addressed the senior detective in a calm tone. "He's just still very weak and unresponsive."

"You can't talk to him through your cybernetic-telepathy thing?"

"No." The comment almost made him laugh since many humans believed androids were somehow telepathic. "He's too weak."

"Damn." Picking up the now cold cup of coffee Hank took a generous sip and continued conversing with Markus. "I haven't been to the precinct since the shooting, so I have no idea where the case is or if any suspects have been identified."

"New Jericho Tower is going to do what we can to speak to the deviant hostages and encourage them to speak to the police just in case they were too afraid to talk to humans."

"Thanks, we could use the help." With his hand still on Connor's shoulder Hank patted his palm down twice and gave the comatose deviant a somber stare from where he sat. "Before everything went down Connor disabled the security cameras in the building to keep the shooter from tracking his movements, which means there's no security footage of the shooting itself. Do you think you can check Connor's memory and give us something to work with?"

"I... I don't want to do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Probing another deviant's memory is a severe breech of privacy. It's like looking into a human's medical file and personal journal behind their back."

"Oh... That explains why that was such a potent threat when Connor interrogated his first deviant suspect. The poor guy was already shaken up after being pushed to murder by his abusive human owner, and when Connor told him to answer or have his memory probed he became much more cooperative."

"It's a seriously invasive experience, and even I were comfortable with doing so," Markus lifted his hand from Connor's arm and allowed his artificial skin to regenerate over his palm. "with Connor being a prototype his personal security protocols shielding his memorybank would be something entirely unique and something that no average deviant could ever override."

"Okay, then we'll wait for Connor to wake up and tell us what happened himself."

"Can I do anything to assist you or the precinct?"

"Nah, we'll figure this out. It's just going to take a while longer than we'd care to admit."

There was a soft knocking on the closed door to the private room which drew the two conscious occupants to the doorway as it slid open. Entering the room with a small paper bag in his left hand a small cardboard caddie of two fresh cups of coffee in his right hand Ben entered the room and decided to check in on both Connor and Hank now that the office building had been photographed and what little evidence had been located had been properly documented.

"Hey, Ben." Greeting the seasoned detective in a groggy tone Hank casually motioned to Markus as the deviant leader stayed at Connor's bedside. "Have you ever met Markus before?"

"Nope, I've only seen him on T.V. or in the magazines." Putting the two items down on the nearby table to free up his hands Ben extended his right hand out toward Markus to greet him properly. "Detective Ben Collins."

"Markus Manfred." Shaking Ben's hand Markus gave the older detective a kind smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, sure. I'm such a celebrity like yourself, I'm sure you've been just dying to meet me."

Smirking at the comment Markus appreciated the two detectives upholding calm and relatively upbeat moods during the rather glum moment. "I understand that this case is proving difficult."

"You have no idea, young man." Looking down at Connor for himself Ben shook his head and sighed. "The precinct is running on fumes, the witnesses didn't see or hear a single thing and the bullets we pulled from the wall are as common as a penny on the sidewalk."

The lack of progress made Hank outwardly grimace. "Damn it."

"Fowler has been trying to call ya'," Ben stated as he handed Hank one of the two fresh cups of coffee he had recently purchased, then opened up the paper bag to hand him a wrapped up blueberry muffin to ensure he was still eating while waiting for Connor to wake. "but as per usual you aren't answering. He'd like an update on Connor."

"I don't know what to tell him beyond Connor's alive," accepting the coffee Hank took an appreciative sip at the fresh drink and resumed watching Connor's red tinted L.E.D. blinking slowly in his right temple. "and he's going to recover once he wakes up. I didn't see anything beyond Gavin hovering over Connor after he had been shot, or hear anything unusual."

Ben's eyes narrowed a little at the comment as he listened to Hank's statement.

"No one rushed by me when I cleared the stairwell, and I saw no one beyond Connor, Gavin and the eight hostages bound and blindfolded in the middle of the office area when I cleared the room."

"You're not the only one who didn't see the shooter, Hank."

"...You're kidding?"

"Nope." Looking at Hank and then over at Markus who was just as surprised Ben gave them both a casual shrug of his shoulders. "No one saw the shooter inside or outside the building. It's like they just vanished."

"Fuck, now we need Connor to wake up sooner rather than later." Sounding broken and hopeless Hank tried to remain optimistic that Connor would regain consciousness soon. "Look, I got things handled here, Ben. Why don't you head on back to the precinct and let Fowler know that Connor's stable and as soon as he's able to leave the facility and recover at home I'll go back to the precinct."

"Alright, sure. Just text if ya' need anything."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Ben. You're the wind beneath my wings."

Taking his leave of the recovery room Ben gave the two remaining visitors a casual wave of his hand and disappeared from sight.

"Have you known Detective Collins long?" Markus inquired as he noted that Hank seemed unusually relaxed around the second detective.

"Yup. Long time."

"He seems like a person who doesn't have any form of discrimination or intolerance in his mind."

"Nope." Unwrapping the muffin Hank eyed the small pastry and set it aside for a while until he felt more like eating. "Ben minds his own business and always takes a neutral route in life. He's aware we live in a gray world and that there's no simple black and white answers to find."

"Good to know."

"Go back to New Jericho and see if you can't get the witnesses to be more cooperative." Hank sounded exhausted but it was clear he wasn't going to go anywhere without Connor. "I'll stay with Connor and the moment he wakes up I'll send ya' a text to let you know. I won't go anywhere."

"Yeah, okay." Patting Connor's arm lightly Markus took a step away from the bed, his mismatched green and blue eyes were full of curiosity and questions as he tried to figure out the best way to help his friend. "We'll work with the deviant witnesses and help them find a way to provide more answers and move the case along. The sooner we find the shooter the better it'll be for the whole city."

"Right. Keep in touch, Markus."

Waiting for the deviant leader to take his leave of the private room Hank leaned forward and rested his elbows atop his knees and pressed his face down against his palms as he breathed through his fingers in a morose manner.

"Fuckin' hell... You gotta' come back to us, kid. We really need you to pull through."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 06:12am - The Precinct** _

Trudging back to the precinct despite being exhausted and wanting to sleep Ben kept his word and informed Captain Fowler of Connor's current condition on Hank's behalf, and did so in person. Slowly shuffling over to the personal office Ben noticed that Tina had fallen asleep at her desk and saw that Chris was trying to stay awake with a mixture of coffee and sugary sweets. It was clear the two detectives had been putting in three times the work to make up for the missing three detectives, and seeing that type of dedication made the seasoned detective proud.

Knocking politely on the closed door of the office Ben waited for Captain Fowler to blindingly wave him inside then opened up the door quietly to meet with his commanding officer in private.

"G'morning, Cap." Sitting down in the chair across from Captain Fowler's desk Ben let out a weary sigh and almost smirked at the heavy bags forming under the dedicated Captain's eyes. It was clear everyone was exhausted and running on fumes at this point. "Looks like you got as much as sleep as Chris and Tina."

"Even less so..." Turning his bloodshot eyes away from the bright glare of security monitor Captain Fowler locked eyes with Ben and leaned back in his chair as fatigue won out and stole his normally military perfect posture. "Find anything at the office we can use?"

Casually motioning to the terminal sitting on Captain Fowler's desk Ben confirmed he had finished up his end of the investigation a few hours prior. "Report's waiting for you to give it a look over, Cap."

"Good work."

"I stopped by the facility to see Connor and Hank this morning." Speaking almost paternally Ben's overall demeanor was that of a worried friend and a loyal cop looking out for the innocent people throughout the city, rather than an exhausted detective. "Connor is holding his own and is expected to make a full recovery very soon."

The good news made Captain Fowler's already slumped shoulders visibly relax even further. "That's even better. I've been waiting for Hank to call, but he's been quiet ever since he left with Connor."

"He's worried, he's tired and he's cranky, but he is hopeful that Connor will wake up soon."

"Does he know what you found at the office and filed in your report?"

"He knows that I found very common caliber bullets embedded in the wall where Connor had been shot."

"You didn't give him the specifics?"

"No," dropping his eyes guiltily to the surface of the desk before him Ben's voice dipped and his demeanor darkened. "I didn't see the need to stress him out more than he already is."

The glum reaction didn't go unnoticed. "Why would he be stressed out?"

"Cap," nodding at the terminal screen beside Captain Fowler with a dour motion Ben encouraged his commanding officer to read the report for himself. "the caliber of the bullets matches someone at the scene of the shooting."

Responding as if his hands had just been coated in concrete the experienced detective returned his fingers to his keyboard and typed in his credentials to read over the report that Ben and the rest of the C.S.I. team had filed regarding their search of the office building. Noting the details on the bullets that had been located at the scene Captain Fowler compared the caliber to each weapon registered to the officers who reported to the scene and a sickening knot tightened in the pit of his stomach.

"Son of a bitch..."

"So," sensing the disappointment in his Captain's tone Ben just waited for the other shoe to drop. Gavin's turbulent history with Connor was well known, and the evidence they had collected was lining up in a such a way everything pointed directly at the caustic Sergeant. "you see the connection, too."

"...Fuck me." Pressing his right hand over his chin Captain Fowler leaned back in his chair, shook his head and gave Ben a direct order. "We need to address this situation, NOW." Everything was slowly crumbling to ruin all around him. "I need you to go and bring him in for interrogation personally, Ben."

"Sure, no problem." It was a necessary evil but Ben never blinked at the order. "What do I tell the others?"

"Nothing at all. I'll handle the questions, you just get his ass in here." Despite his desire to remain professional it was clear Captain Fowler was struggling with his emotions regarding the severity of the case at hand. "I have a few more questions for Gavin Reed."

_**-next chapter-** _


	3. Suspect

_**May 23rd, 2039: 07:32am - The Precinct** _

The precinct was suddenly very tense as Ben had the dishonor of escorting Gavin back to the building and marched him directly into interrogation to answer some very interesting questions. With his head hung low Gavin refused to look at anyone and dragged his feet a little as Ben directed him to the isolated room where he knew Captain Fowler was already waiting for him. Looking pale, exhausted and even afraid it was clear that Gavin already had some idea of what was in his future as he made the walk of shame into interrogation as ordered.

Passing through the door Gavin heard the door slide shut behind him and lock as Ben entered the observation room and locked that door as well to keep Tina and Chris from trying to sit in on the interrogation of their fellow detective. The sight of Captain Fowler sitting at the desk with tablet screen under his right hand and waiting for him gave the abrasive Sergeant pause as horrible flashbacks to his traumatic childhood and remembered all the times he suffered at his own father's hands.

"Reed." Motioning the vacant chair across from himself with his left hand Captain Fowler ordered his detective to join him for questioning. "Sit."

Crossing his arms over his chest Gavin stared at the chair and resisted putting his right fingertips to the scar on his nose as he breathed through his sudden mounting anxiety.

"Reed, I won't ask you again. Move your ass."

The first step toward the vacant chair felt like Gavin was trudging through molasses. Grabbing onto the back of the chair Gavin pulled the seat away from the desk and sat down slowly but heavily to face his Captain directly.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Since this is the interrogation room I suspect I'm being interrogated."

"Cut the shit, Reed." Pushing the tablet toward the mouthy Sergeant with a swift motion Captain Fowler made sure Gavin knew he couldn't afford to be sarcastic or disrespectful. "You're in serious jeopardy."

"All because I wouldn't answer your pointless questions?"

"No, because we have _evidence_ that YOU are the one who shot Connor."

"That I- WHAT?!" Offended at the accusation Gavin bolted up to his feet and slammed both of his palms down on the desk in frustration. "NO WAY! I admit that I don't like that plastic asshole, but I didn't shoot it!"

"SIT. DOWN." Pointing at the detective standing before him Captain Fowler was in no mood to deal with any form of disrespect or outbursts. "You need to start answering some damn questions, Reed. If you don't then I can't help you."

"Help me?! You're accusing me of shooting another cop!"

"I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just following the evidence and that just so happens to lead back to YOU. Sit your ass down before I knock you down."

"This is fuckin' bullshit..." Slumping back in the chair like a scolded toddler Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed at the very idea of being accused of shooting a fellow officer. "I didn't shoot Connor!"

"Then tell us what happened at the scene leading up to the shooting? Why were you M.I.A. then and being uncooperative now?" Giving the insubordinate Sergeant an aggressive tone Captain Fowler reminded Gavin how his behavior made him look. "You manually turned off your body camera," the cameras were installed in the protective gear of every officer attending to the situation at hand. "you won't tell me where you were and your weapon is identical to the bullets used in the shooting. Tell me what the hell's going on with you."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand. Damn it, Reed, this is serious. I don't want to see you get charged with a crime you didn't commit just because you can't control your fuckin' emotions!"

"Fuck off!"

"I'm going to let that one slide only because I know you're stressed out," Captain Fowler's voice took on a venomous lilt as Gavin's continued disrespect and lack of cooperation pushed his patience to his limits. "one more outburst and I'm turning this investigation over to the feds to handle."

Tightening his arms around his chest Gavin looked his Captain in the eyes, his hazel eyes burning with resentment and misplaced anger. "...Whatever."

"Three shots were fired during the hostage situation." Recapping the events was unnecessary as Gavin was well aware of what had happened, and the commentary was merely a professional response. "All three bullets came from a .38 special revolver, two of the three bullets struck Connor. I know for a fact that you carry a .38 special as your personal weapon, whereas your service weapon is a .09mm like everyone else."

"So what? A lot of people have a .38 special in this city."

"Where is your revolver as of this moment?"

"At my apartment."

"When was the last time you fired it?"

"Two nights ago. I was at the firing range with Tina."

"When did you last clean your weapon?"

Falling silent and darting his eyes away to the floor Gavin answered honestly despite the answer clearly being unfortunate. "...Last night."

"After the hostage situation?"

"Yeah... I needed to distract myself."

"Damn it. Where is your gun right now?"

"...Safe."

"Gavin, you know it needs to be turned in for testing and comparison to the bullets recovered from the scene. Where is it?"

"...I want my lawyer."

"You... what?"

"I want my lawyer. I'm not talking anymore."

Angry and defeated Captain Fowler rose from the desk, grabbed the tablet and unlocked the door to the interrogation room to leave. "You're not digging yourself into a hole this time, Reed. You're digging your own grave."

Marching out of the interrogation room Captain Fowler opened up the door to the observation room and spoke to Ben in a gruff tone that made the experienced detective wince a little.

"Grab Tina and go check out Reed's apartment. Look for his revolver, look for anything amiss and make a report."

"What about his lawyer?"

"I'll talk to Internal Affairs and let them know what's going on. You deal with finding the gun and anything else that'll explain Reed's problem."

"What're you thinking Cap'?"

"You don't want to know what I'm thinking. You and I both know that Reed has struggled with his demons in the past, if they finally got the better of him I want to head it off before it gets any worse for him."

"...Cap?" Lowering his voice despite Gavin being unable to hear him through the one way mirror Ben stood up from the chair and approached his commanding officer somewhat timidly. "Do you think he did it? Do you think he shot-"

Stepping out of the room Captain Fowler turned his back to Ben as he answered cryptically. "Just get to his apartment and check out the place."

Sensing dread in the air that was as tense as the rest of the precinct Ben sighed and looked through the window at Gavin with a worried gaze. "Yeah. Me, too."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 08:24am - Tenth Street Facility** _

Struggling to keep his eyes open Hank continued to nervously fidget in his seat to keep himself awake, and to keep his back from locking up on him for sitting still for so long in an uncomfortable plastic chair for going on eleven consecutive hours. Picking at the remains of the blueberry muffin that Ben had brought him earlier that morning Hank caught a fluttering of motion coming from the bed beside him. Returning his palm to Connor's right shoulder Hank applied gentle pressure and rose from the chair to hover over the deviant as Connor's left hand began to twitch and flex.

"Connor?"

As Hank's voice registered to the rebooting deviant Connor's red tinted L.E.D. began to pulse a little faster and the door to the room slid open. Within seconds Abby had responded to the sudden increase in Connor's vital signs after the improvement had been recorded by Barry at the receptionist area, and she was now checking on her star patient to ensure he wasn't going to suffer from any complications.

"Kid?" Shaking Connor's shoulder lightly Hank watched as Abby used her penlight to check his pupils again, then listened to his chest as the deviant regained strength and tried to move about. "Connor, listen to me. You're safe and you're in a facility."

Blinking a few times after Abby finished checking his eyes Connor glanced up at the two humans checking in on him as blurry vision steadily cleared, and his auditory processors reengaged to full capacity.

"You're okay, son. Just a little banged up."

Wincing in pain as his external sensors confirmed the damage to his chest and his heart Connor groaned with discomfort and tried to take in a calming breath, only to discover he couldn't seem to control his breathing. Slowly Connor's right hand reached up to investigate the external ventilation line snaked down his throat, and his fingertips began to pry at the plastic clasp that kept the line secured in place.

"No, don't do that." Abby lightly scolded as she pulled his hand down and away from his face. "You have an external line ventilating for you. Don't pull it out unless you want to injure your throat."

"Connor, look at me." Hank spoke to his partner in a level tone of voice. "I know you just woke up and I know you're in pain and confused, bu I need to ask you about the shooting. Do you understand?"

Blinking once in a slow manner Connor locked his eyes onto Hank's face and tried to ignore his own pain.

As Connor's soulful brown eyes filled with agonized tears Hank's paternal instincts kicked in and his new priority became helping his honorary second son feel far more comfortable. "Can you do anything to stop the pain?"

"I can," Abby confirmed as she checked Connor's current vital signs. "but it'll put him right back into rest mode. In order for his heart to fully heal absolute rest is necessary; pain makes that impossible."

"Shit... How long until he falls back asleep?"

"Not long, less than a minute."

"Alright, uh, Connor..." Returning his full focus on the healing deviant Hank made a quick decision that would be beneficial for everyone involved in the odd situation, and the shooting itself. "You'll need to speak fast. It'll be hard, I know, but if you're in pain you won't be able to rest properly and heal. Do you understand?"

Giving Hank one final slow blink Connor confirmed he knew what was going to happen.

"Okay." Looking to the technician standing beside him Hank gave her a single nod. "Abby?"

"Yeah, I got this. Connor, I need to remove the line from your throat. Since you're in pain I'll have to manually return you to rest mode, and I'm going to initiate it before I start with the line extraction. You'll feel tired and weak but it's a normal reaction, and you'll be able to speak for a moment."

Closing his eyes Connor relaxed as much as he could and allowed Abby to unclip the supports to the line to begin extracting the line from his throat.

"Engaging manual rest mode." Pressing a small electronic device known as a intracranial stimulator to Connor's right temple over his red glowing L.E.D. Abby turned the device on and engaged low power mode. It didn't take long for Connor's processors to begin entering rest mode one at a time, and his brown irises began to glaze over again. "Hold your breath and don't move..."

Hank turned eyes away as Abby pressed her left palm to Connor's forehead to keep his head tilted back, then used her right hand to gently pulled on the line to remove it from Connor's throat at a steady pace that wouldn't make him cough, choke or jump. The process didn't take long, and yet with Connor on the verge of rest mode yet again it felt like it took a lifetime for Abby to use the necessary twelve seconds to free Connor of the line.

"Got it!" Putting her right palm on the center of Connor's chest Abby was ready to hold him down in case he did begin to cough, but fortunately he didn't have a coughing fit as she had anticipated. "That's it, take in slow breaths and let your ventilation biocomponents function again."

Slowly Connor took in a shallow breath, then a deeper one that began to settle into a lethargic breathing pattern akin to someone falling asleep.

"Don't sleep just yet." Using her audioscope Abby monitored his breathing while Hank began asking him questions. "Try to resist sleep for as long as possible."

Hank gave Connor's right shoulder another light shake as he spoke to him in a level voice. "Connor, do you remember the shooting?"

Looking up at Hank through his heavy eyelids Connor managed a weak and hoarse answer to the question. "...Y-Yes."

"Good. Did you see the shooter's face?"

"...I..." Trailing off for a moment Connor's eyes began to close despite his effort to remain awake.

"No, kid. Stay awake, come on." Raising his voice a little Hank kept trying to get Connor to respond. "Did you see the shooter?"

"...Yes."

"Can you identify them?"

Rest mode was winning out quickly, and Connor was losing the fight to remain awake. "...Yeah..." The less formal diction was a clear sign of Connor's fatigue.

"Hang on, son. Can you give me a name?" Shaking Connor's shoulder a little more Hank kept pushing for answers and put a little bass in his voice to keep Connor's attention. "I need to know who to look at."

As his heart rate slowed and his eyes closed Connor managed to give one final breathy answer before he slipped into rest mode. "...Gavin."

Hearing the name made Hank's blood boil and his blue eyes go wide. The memory of seeing Gavin standing before Connor as the deviant remained slumped and dying on the floor of the office came flooding back to him in an instant.

"... _Gavin_ shot you?" Standing upright and dragging his left hand over his bearded chin Hank took a step back from the bed and tightened his right hand into a fist at his side. "Son of a fuckin' bitch..."

"Hank?" Abby could see the understandable rage in Hank's blue eyes and didn't want to see him do anything reckless. "Hank, please take it easy."

Slowly turning his back to Abby the senior detective walked toward the doorway of the room and addressed the technician in an almost growl as he reached the door to take his leave of the facility. "Take care of Connor for me, Abby. I got something I need to take care of."

"Hank! Don't don't do-"

The door shut behind the pissed off Lieutenant before she could finish her plea. Unable to stop Hank or really interfere with anything that was deemed a police matter Abby just sighed as she moved her right palm toward Connor's hair in a comforting manner. Feeling like she just became a witness to premeditated murder all the kind technician could do was tend to her patient and hope that Hank didn't do anything that would jeopardize his career, his future or his friendship with Connor.

"What happened in that office building, Connor?" Whispering to the unconscious deviant at her side Abby felt lost and like she should be able to do something, anything, to keep things from getting worse, but she had no idea how to begin. "You need to tell us the whole story my friend."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 08:57am - The Precinct** _

Begrudgingly Tina had accompanied Ben to Gavin's apartment, she had an emergency key to his place and would keep them from having to break the door down to get inside, and Chris remained at the precinct working overtime to help keep the case active. While Captain Fowler returned to the private office to discuss things with Internal Affairs over the phone and requesting a lawyer to tend to Gavin's shaky looking case he remained unaware of Connor waking up and naming Gavin at the scene of the shooting. With his back to the transparent wall facing the bullpen Captain Fowler was unaware of Hank's sudden return and didn't notice him speaking to Chris.

"Where's Reed?"

"Uh," surprised to see Hank and startled at the wide look in the Lieutenant's eyes Chris stammered a little before answering honestly. Pointing toward the interrogation room where he had seen Gavin being escorted earlier Chris directed Hank to Gavin's current location. "...Sitting in interrogation room two."

"Sitting in- Fuck me..." Growling as he realized that Gavin had already been taken in as a suspect in the shooting Hank made a beeline for the interrogation room with malicious intent in mind.

Storming down the private corridor Hank unlocked the door to the correct interrogation room, entered, and locked the door as quickly as he entered. Using his rank as a Lieutenant to override the usual authorization codes to keep people at bay Hank honed in on Gavin who had been left sitting at the desk, and watched as the abrasive Sergeant's face paled within seconds.

"You motherfucker!" Grabbing onto Gavin's shirt collar Hank lifted the shorter man up from the chair promptly slammed him against the one way mirror with a forceful slam. "You finally crossed the line for last damn time!"

The glass behind Gavin quickly cracked but didn't shatter under his body. Unbeknownst Hank as he proceeded to assault Gavin with his bare hands Chris had followed after him and had been watching over Gavin through the window in the observation room. He was also unaware that Chris had rushed out to get Captain Fowler to stop the assault before it turned into a murder.

"Piece of shit!" Holding Gavin up against the broken glass with his left hand over the shorter man's throat Hank pulled back his right hand into a tight fist and struck Gavin in the face once, then twice and a third time causing the abrasive Sergeant's nose to gush blood and his left eye to blacken. "You tried to kill Connor! He named you after he woke up!"

Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to fight back Gavin endured a fourth punch to the face before Captain Fowler and Chris rushed into the interrogation room to separate Hank from Gavin before it was too late.

"HANK!" Practically tackling Hank at his side Captain Fowler knocked the Lieutenant away from Gavin while Chris grabbed onto the shorter man's shoulders and lowered him to the floor to check on his injuries. Wrestling the enraged Lieutenant into a strong hold by pinning both of Hank's arms behind him back Captain Fowler kept the two officers away from one another for the moment. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Connor named him!" Hank shouted as Captain Fowler restrained him and forced him into a kneeling position onto the floor, then onto his chest to keep him from getting back up to assault Gavin a second time. "Connor said _Gavin_ shot him!"

"He..." The revelation was an absolute shock to Captain Fowler, and he let his grip falter for only a moment. "He confirmed it was Gavin?"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down as he watched Chris checking Gavin's face; his bloody nose was clearly broken and his left eye was always swollen shut, Hank explained what happened to his commanding officer. "Connor woke up at the facility. I asked if he saw the shooter and he named Gavin. I also saw Gavin standing over Connor when I cleared the floor!"

"You can prove this?"

"Check my body cam." Still wearing the protective gear Hank's body camera had been recording everything ever since he entered the office building, and was recording everything at that very moment. "You'll see what I saw and you'll hear what I heard from Connor's own lips."

"Alright, just stay down for a minute and let me think."

"Think about WHAT?!"

"What I can say or do to keep your ass from getting thrown out on the street for assaulting an officer!"

"That same officer tried to KILL my partner! Fucking snake had it coming..."

Chris shook his head a little as he helped Gavin to lean forward to keep himself from choking on the blood draining down the back of his throat. "I'll escort Gavin to the emergency room to get checked out."

"...'D'oh." Gavin's words were muffled and it made it sound like he was talking with a stuffy nose because of his broken nose swelling up quickly. Coughing a little Gavin took in a deep breath and tried to speak more clearly. "...'D'oh hospital."

"Gavin, you have enough problems as it is, man. Let me help you."

"...No." Speaking more clearly Gavin leaned back and rested the back of his head against the cool wall and closed his eyes. The blood was running down his face in crimson streaks that stained his cheeks, chin and even the sides of his neck. "...Let him finish me off."

The out of place comment made the other three detectives fall deathly silent as they all looked at Gavin with muted shock.

"Gavin," breaking the silence Chris tried to figure out what Gavin was talking about. "what the hell is going on with you?"

"...It doesn't matter." Sounding as broken and miserable as he looked it was evident that Gavin was not in a good place mentally, emotionally or physically. He needed help. "Let the Lieutenant finish what he already started. It's best for everyone."

Captain Fowler shook his head and let up on Hank's arms at long last as Hank had stopped struggling. "Chris, stay here with Gavin and let the infirmary know Gavin's got a busted nose that needs attention. I'll tell Ben and Tina to hurry up with the search in his apartment and come back here while I speak to Hank in my office."

The orders were very unusual and Chris was almost doubting his commanding officer's word. "Sir?"

"Just do it."

Hauling Hank back up to his feet by hooking his right hand around the Lieutenant's left bicep Captain Fowler escorted Hank out of the interrogation room, down the corridor and back into his private office within the bullpen to try to sort the mess out. Without breaking stride Captain Fowler opened up his office door and practically shoved Hank inside to sit down at the chair across from his desk.

"I'm going to ignore trying to punch Gavin's teeth down his throat for the moment." Planting himself between Hank and the door to ensure that the Lieutenant didn't try to rush after Gavin again. "Give me your vest, give me your statement and give me your gun."

"My gun?"

"You know the drill." Holding out his right hand Captain Fowler waited for Hank relinquish his weapon as he had been ordered. "Turn it over."

"Fucking... fine."

As the gun was slowly removed from Hank's holster on his right hip and placed into Captain Fowler's right palm Hank began to calm down. It was then he noted how his right knuckles were bleeding, bruised and swollen from assaulting Gavin a few minutes prior. It looked as though he had taken part in a bar fight.

"Now," keeping the gun on his person Captain Fowler let out a slow breath and recomposed himself in a more professional manner. In that moment it was up to Captain Fowler to remain the voice of reason, entirely clear headed and patient. "tell me what happened. Start from the very beginning, and answer all of my questions."

_**-next chapter-** _


	4. Questions

_**May 23rd, 2039: 10:15am - Tenth Street Facility** _

Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor found himself laying in the recovery bed of the facility with Abby hovering over him protectively. Watching as Abby pressed the bell of her audioscope down against his chest Connor winced a little as the pressure applied to his chest ached his damaged body as he struggled to heal after being shot. As he took in slow and controlled breaths Connor waited for Abby to finish listening to his chest before he spoke up and asked the kind technician about what had happened after he fell back into rest mode for the second time.

Patiently waiting for Abby to finish her examination Connor didn't resist as she double-checked his vital signs, then carefully pressed her fingertips around his repaired chest to palpate the still healing wounds beneath his gauze.

"...Abby?"

"Take it easy, Connor." Without taking her eyes from her work Abby spoke to Connor in a low voice. "You're still weak but you are healing."

"...Wh-Where's Hank?"

Her hands visibly shook for a moment as her face paled a little. "He went back to the precinct to work on the case."

"...Why do you look... so worried?"

"Connor, before you went back into rest mode you identified your shooter." Sitting down on the edge of the bed Abby gave the wounded deviant a heartbreaking stare. "You said it was Gavin."

"Wha... No!" Attempting to sit upright in the bed Connor let out a shocked gasp of breath as the abrupt movement made the pain in his chest sear as his body struggled to recalibrate his Thirium pump despite him not resting properly. With his red L.E.D. cycling rapidly in his temple Connor looked truly pitiful and in need of additional rest. "...Damn it."

"Easy!" Putting her left hand under Connor's right shoulder Abby guided Connor back against his pillow, then manually raised the head of the bed so he could sit upright without hurting his chest in the process. "Don't move around like that."

"Abby, I... I need to contact Hank." Closing his eyes Connor tried and failed to cybernetically send a text to Hank's phone. He was still too weak to access his more advanced programming. With his chest heaving up and down in pained breaths Connor tried to speak as clearly as possible even as his still sore throat made his voice raspy and hoarse. "There's been... a misunderstanding."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 10:17am - The Precinct  
** _

Sitting at the table inside the interrogation room with a bloodied rag and ice pack pressed to his bruised and swollen face Gavin looked truly pitiful. Alone and miserable with his physical pain and mental exhaustion it was clear that the Sergeant had been dealing with something very potent, if not poisonous, and had refused to seek help or confide in his friends. Knowing he was being watched by Ben through the observation window had kept Gavin as statuesque as he didn't want to give any sign of needing companionship or someone to talk to.

The desire to sit in anger and isolation was a dangerous compulsion that Gavin just couldn't seem to break.

Silently the door to the observation room slid open as Captain Fowler and Hank entered the small space to check on Gavin without intruding on his much needed personal space.

Standing beside Ben with a grimace on his face Captain Fowler stared at Gavin through the one way mirror and tried to figure out what the hell was wrong with the abrasive Sergeant. "Has he said anything to you, Ben?"

"No, he's been quiet and sulking every since the medics patched him up." Glancing at Captain Fowler and then Hank beside him Ben wasn't quite sure what to say or do so help solve the complicated case at hand. It seemed like everything was falling apart. "I don't think even Tina knows what's going on with him."

"She doesn't, I asked." Sitting down in the free chair beside Ben the seasoned Captain struggled to think of the next logical step to take in order to keep things from falling apart any further. "Did you find his .38 special at his apartment?"

"Nope. Tina scoured every inch of Gavin's apartment but couldn't find the gun anywhere."

"Did _you_ look, too?"

"I know the drill, Cap. I double checked her work and had my C.S.I. boys combing through every centimeter of the place right behind us. It's not in his apartment."

"Think he tossed it into the river?"

"I don't know." Staring at Gavin through the mirror Ben shrugged his shoulders with a mixture of confusion and disappointment. "I don't know what the hell's going on with the case, let alone what's going through Gavin's head right now."

Silently Hank stared at Gavin as well, a part of him still wanting to finish what he started while the other part wanted to take the Sergeant aside to have a private conversation with him. Just as he was about to speak up Hank's phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly fished out the intrusive device to see who was bothering him. Seeing Abby's personal number on the screen made his hand begin to shake as he accepted the call and pressed the phone to his right ear.

"Y-Yeah? Abby?"

' _Hank_ ,' Connor's somewhat hoarse and raspy voice replied from the other end of the line in a stern tone. ' _it's me_.'

"Connor..." Immediately feeling relieved upon hearing his partner's voice speaking to him Hank all but collapsed against the wall behind him. "Good to hear from ya', kid. Why are you using Abby's phone?"

'... _I don't have the power to cybernetically contact you, but that's not important_.' Sounding as if he were on a mission Connor spoke to Hank in a firm tone of voice and readily explained things. '... _Can you put me on speaker mode and locate Captain Fowler_?'

"He's right here, kid. So's Ben." Pulling the phone away from his ear to switch the phone over to speaker mode Hank held the phone out into the middle of the room and let Connor know he was clear to continue talking. "Okay, Connor. We're listening."

'... _Captain Fowler_?'

"I'm here, Connor." Captain Fowler sounded relieved to hear Connor's voice as well. "What's going on, detective?"

'... _Captain, Hank, there has been a misunderstanding_.'

Furrowing his brow Hank stared at his phone as if he could somehow see Connor's face if he stared hard enough. "What're you talking about?"

'... _Before I returned to rest mode you asked me if I saw the shooter's face_. _I did_. ... _However_ ,' the tone of Connor's voice had picked up a lilt of worry as if he knew that Hank had made an egregious assumption. ' _I was unable to explain myself fully before I lost consciousness_. _Yes, Gavin was there when I was shot, but it was NOT Gavin who pulled the trigger_.'

The three detectives all exchanged confused looks as Hank pressed for more answers. "Wait... Then why was Gavin there? He won't talk to us and he erased the footage from his vest camera."

' _Gavin had found me after I had been shot. ...He fired once after hearing the two gunshots that struck me_. _Before I lost consciousness at the office building I saw Gavin approaching me and he had his back to my assailant_. _...I tried to warn him but I fell unconscious_.'

"So Gavin was in the immediate area when you were shot," Hank's voice became weighted by guilt and regret as he realized he had jumped to conclusions and attacked Gavin based on half-truths rather than cold hard facts. "but he... Shit."

' _Correct_.'

"Then who DID shoot you, kid?"

'... _I saw their face but I cannot identify them by name, race or even gender_.'

"What, how's that?"

'... _The assailant had perfectly androgynous features_ ,' Connor explained in an impressively calm tone over the line. ' _their complexion was concealed behind a thin layer of a dark fabric disguising their face, they were wearing sunglasses to hide their eye color from me and their clothing was bulky enough to hide their body type from my analysis program_.'

"Damn it."

Captain Fowler was now thoroughly intrigued and began asking his own questions. "Can you at least give us a height of the assailant, Connor?"

'... _Yes_. _Five feet and nine point three inches in height_.'

"Well, that's something." Sensing Ben making the note on his behalf Captain Fowler continued his questions. "Connor, what led to the shooting? How did this even happen?"

* * *

_**May 22nd, 2039: 09:07pm - Detroit Michigan; Office Building on West Boulevard - The Night of the Shooting** _

With the security cameras disabled and the two stairwells covered by Hank and Captain Fowler's team Connor encroached on the nineteenth floor with a cautious step guiding his every move forward. Knowing that eight deviant lives were at stake kept Connor on edge, and only sensing the movement of a single person about the limited space confirmed that there was only one potentially violent hostage taker to be dealt with. With his L.E.D. flashing a calm blue in his right temple Connor honed in on where his scanner was picking up on the deviant vital signs in the center of the office space.

Moving slowly, carefully and with purpose Connor kept to the walls and kept silent as he neared the single figure walking about the office as if it were an animal impatiently pacing about a locked cage. As found himself with twenty feet of the figure Connor felt eyes watching him and he turned around with his L.E.D. now flashing yellow as the figure somehow appeared behind him.

"Detroit Police." Connor instinctively announced his presence as he raised his hands into the air submissively. "I'm here to negotiate and reach a peaceful con-"

The figure, where a strange veil and sunglasses over their face while donned under thick layers silently raised a gun with their right hand. Aiming the barrel at the center of Connor's chest the assailant pulled the trigger as a faint grin appeared on their face from beneath the thin veil.

Reacting quickly to the threat the deviant detective managed to take a step to the right just as the trigger was pulled. The first shot struck him in his upper left shoulder with a searing presence, staggering Connor and causing him to stumble backward against the wall behind him. As his back struck the wall where the bullet had passed through his body and embedded itself in the drywall surface Connor was unable to move, or even react as the gun was aimed at his chest a second time.

The trigger was pulled again.

The violence by the assailant was unprovoked, and it was seemingly premeditated.

As the second bullet passed through his chest Connor's vision turned red alongside his L.E.D. while warnings as Klaxons sounded off inside his own mind. Slumping down to the floor as the blood pooling from the exit wounds in his back stained the wall behind him a sapphire blue Connor's eyes began to close against his will. Watching the armed assailant encroaching on his person and being unable to defend himself Connor remained silent, still and seemed to have accepted his fate.

Just as his vision was being obscured by red warnings and blackness creeping up from the corners of his vision the sounds around Connor became muffled, almost muted, beyond sharp and sudden noises.

The sound of a third gunshot rang out causing the assailant to suddenly freeze, turn toward the source of the gunshot to their right, and then rush out of sight just seconds before Gavin appeared before Connor. It was clear that Gavin had fired the shot in response to the other gunshots, though he had failed to detect the shooter before they disappeared from sight.

Stunned, confused and unsure of what the hell just happened all Gavin could do was stop and stare at Connor as the deviant bled out from his wounds, and his eyes shut while his body entered emergency stasis mode.

Everything went silent, dark and painfully cold as everything Connor had just went though was logged away in his memorybank, and consciousness ceased to function for the remainder of the macabre moment.

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 10:24am - The Precinct - The Morning After the Shooting  
** _

The statement provided by Connor seemed to raise more questions than provide answers. Confirming that Gavin had in fact been innocent in shooting Connor and had merely been in the wrong place at the right time only provided a modicum of relief for the detectives still struggling to piece the case together. The fact that Connor could only confirm that Gavin was NOT the shooter only gave the detectives a complete lack of suspects as the inability to identify the real shooter was proving to be the biggest hindrance for the entire investigation.

Dragging his left hand over his bearded chin with deep thought Hank sighed and felt as though he needed to apologize to Gavin, and yet he couldn't help but feel that Gavin was still hiding something important in regard to the case.

Why wasn't Gavin cooperating? Why'd he hide his gun? Why does he want to be punished?

Too many questions. Not nearly enough answers.

Captain Fowler took Connor's statement into full consideration and decided to call Internal Affairs to explain the matter more fully. "Alright, Connor. Thank you for the statement, now you take it easy and rest."

'... _I will do so, Captain_.'

Hank spoke up in a low voice as he decided he needed to make amends toward Gavin for lashing out at him. "Kid, try to get some more sleep and I'll be back to the facility in an hour or two. I'll take ya' back home so you can rest properly in your bed."

'... _Thank you, Hank_. _See you soon_.'

Ending the call Hank pocketed his phone and dragged his right hand through his messy locks of gray hair. "I'm going ask a few questions then head out to the facility to pick up Connor."

"Hank." Standing up from his seat Captain Fowler headed the hotheaded Lieutenant off at the door before he could leave. " _Who_ are you going to be asking questions to?"

"I admit I fucked up, Jeffrey." Nodding at Gavin still sitting in the interrogation room through the one way mirror Hank was determined to make amends. "I'm going to apologize to Reed and then figure out why the fuck he's acting so damn weird."

"Hank, don't do-"

"Jeffrey, he won't talk to Tina, he won't talk to you and he was willing to risk getting fired just so he wouldn't have to talk at all." The logic was sound and understandable. "Me punching him got a response, so maybe if I talk to him then maybe he'll finally level with us."

Reluctant to let Hank back into the same room as Gavin after their last brutal confrontation Captain Fowler's keen senses as a detective told him that Hank was picking up on something unspoken, something personal that only he could really understand.

"Alright. You have five minutes to talk to him." Taking a step to the side Captain Fowler cleared the door for Hank to pass through. "If he doesn't want to talk then leave him the fuck alone and go deal with Connor instead."

"Yeah, fine. I got this." Stepping through the doorway Hank took in a calming breath before he entered the adjacent interrogation room and stared at Gavin from the opened door silently. Watching as Gavin's bloodshot hazel eyes trailed over to him Hank let out his breath and held up his hands as if to surrender to the wounded Sergeant. "I come in peace, Reed. I swear."

"...What do you want, Lieutenant?"

"First, I want to apologize. I overreacted and I beat the shit out of you without having any concrete evidence to back me up. I'm sorry."

"...Whatever."

"Second," walking over to the vacant chair across from Gavin to sit down Hank watched as the Sergeant leaned away from him and crossed his arms over his own chest in a guarded manner. Hank had seen that behavior too many times by victims of child or spousal abuse, and knew that when he struck Gavin he had accidentally reawakened some old and painful childhood memories of his own past abuse. "I want to help you."

"...Help me?"

"Gavin, man to man, I can see that you're dealing with some pretty fucked up demons right now." Folding his hands neatly atop the desk so Gavin could see them at all times Hank addressed the younger Sergeant in a compassionate tone. The look of loss, loneliness and desperation was a look that Hank himself was all too familiar with. "I can see it in your eyes. You're not in a good place and you can feel the shadows creeping in on ya' despite everything you do to ignore them."

Giving Hank a silent and cold glare Gavin just studied the Lieutenant sitting across from him as if he had just been challenged to a fight.

"How long have you been feel this way?"

"...What way?"

"Level with me. You went M.I.A. on a scene despite never having that problem before, you suddenly appeared on the floor of the shooting and fired off a wild shot even though you never saw the shooter, and then you busied yourself with hiding your gun and hiding out in your apartment. I know what you're going through."

"So," scoffing a little Gavin tried to deflect the question with another question of his own. "the plastic-wonder recanted his accusation against me?"

"Connor woke up, called me and told everyone that you saved his life. I just misunderstood what he was trying to tell me."

Falling silent again Gavin gave Hank a truly stunned glance.

"Turns out when he said your name he was trying to tell me that you protected him, but he passed out before he could finish his thought. I asked if he saw the shooter, he said 'yes' and then he said your name; hell, the shooter was right behind you but no one saw them. I lost my cool and I took it out on you, and while I can't undo the attack I can try to help you deal with whatever fucked up shit's going on inside your head at the moment."

"...Like you'd have any idea what's going on inside my head."

"I know what it's like to have horrible memories from my past crowding my thoughts, tainting my emotions and haunting my dreams. I know what it's like to have nightmares so vivid, brutal and real that I can't get the images out of my head for days, weeks, sometimes even months on end." As he spoke he could see Gavin's arms relaxing around his chest as his tension began to ease. "I know what it's like to feel like my own damn existence is just a waste of space, or everyone's time, and that the world would be better off without a bitter old drunk asshole like me."

Lowering his eyes from Hank's face and to the desk before him Gavin let out a small breath.

"I know what it's like to have the urge to clutch a revolver in my hand and aim it right at my own damn head as my finger hovered over the trigger. And I know how the damn thoughts and feelings that won't let me sleep without nightmares make the temptation of permanent sleep damn near irresistible."

Staying quiet Gavin's shoulders tensed a little as if Hank had just struck a nerve.

"So... Is that why you hid your gun? To get rid of temptation?"

"...It was either hide the gun," Gavin admitted as he finally opened up about his personal pain. "or become another statistic in the eyes of the public."

The admission was as heavy as it was frightening. Hank had struggled with his own self destructive tendencies before, but as for Captain Fowler and Ben they never had to deal with such horrible thoughts before. Remaining in the observation room Captain Fowler and Ben decided to let Hank continue to speak to Gavin and reach out to the Sergeant in a way that they never could.

"Where is your gun, Gavin?"

Shaking his head a little the Sergeant replied honestly without any doubt to his words. "I buried it in a metal lock box in the rear property of the apartment complex. It's beneath the tree out back and under a white rock."

Knowing that Ben was going to handle locating the gun to confirm that it was not the same one that shot Connor at the scene Hank kept talking to Gavin in a cool and respectful manner. "And you weren't at the scene when shit went down. You turned off your camera and disappeared. Where'd you go?"

Dropping his arms from his chest Gavin sat slightly more upright as he spoke to Hank as if he were trying to clear his conscience. "...I needed to get away from the scene for a moment. I kept... imagining how it'd feel to run into the middle of the bullshit and let the nutcase holding the hostages just unleash a full clip into my body. I wanted that night to be my last case, so I turned off my camera and went rogue so no one would see me killing myself by rushing a lunatic."

"What changed your mind?"

"I started to think about how Tina was right there and that she'd see me... dead. I couldn't do that to her. And then I thought about how my death in the middle of the case would make the entire precinct look bad and everyone would have their names stained with my blood. Guilt by association and all that other kind of shit. Politics ruin everything."

"And when you rushed the shooter, what happened?"

"I heard the two shots but I didn't hear or see anyone. I had lost contact with Fowler and everyone else, so I just reacted and fired a shot of my own to see if I could get a response or figure out who started the mess by giving away my position. Instead I came across Connor bleeding on the floor."

"Seeing Connor dying of gunshot wounds... That image got reversed in your head, didn't it?" Hank finally figured things out regarding Gavin's behavior and knew that the Sergeant was entirely innocent of being a bad cop; he was just having a really bad night. "You saw yourself in his position, bleeding out and helpless."

"Like I said, I didn't want Tina to find me like that. It was very humbling to say the least."

"And that's when you decided to bury your gun. You didn't want to let temptation get to you."

"...Yeah. I've had issues in the past with this type of stuff, but for some reason it's just really getting to me."

"From my personal experience hiding in the dark doesn't fool the demons. Talking to someone does help, but for the most part there are just times you need to figure out some shit for yourself and figure out what works for you that doesn't include hiding."

"...How?"

"What started these fucked up feelings?"

"I don't know. They just popped up like a damn zit the night before prom. I've been trying to deal with it but it's not working anymore."

"Talk to Tina and take time for yourself. Don't try to work when you can't even think straight."

"...I'm being benched?"

"You're being put on mandatory paid leave because of health reasons. I've taken my own days off and despite what people think, no, I wasn't just nursing a damn hangover. I just needed a day to take care of myself and not an entire city for once."

Falling silent again Gavin sighed and shook his head a little.

"It's not selfish to want to take care of yourself before other people, Gavin. That's something I had to drill into Connor's head, and then the kid did me the same favor. Trust me, take a vacation and do what it takes to sort your head out. Work can wait."

"...Sure. Whatever."

"Right." Standing up from the table Hank walked toward the door to the interrogation room and just stood there for a moment. "Gavin, don't be ashamed of your own thoughts and feelings. You can't help it, you can't just 'snap out of it', you can't just think positive thoughts and force the demons away, and it doesn't mean you're crazy for feeling what you're feeling. It means you're human and you're alive."

Without another word Gavin sighed and pressed his right palm over his eyes as he remained in the quiet isolation of the interrogation room to sit and think for just a moment longer.

From within the observation room Captain Fowler just shook his head as he realized everything made sense with Gavin's behavior. He had seen more than his fair share of cops and detectives struggling with thoughts of suicide before, and for whatever reason he missed it. Unwilling to let Gavin suffer in silence any longer the seasoned detective decided to take Hank's advice and realized that work can wait, and that Gavin was more important than trying to figure out the case.

Work can wait, but the health of his detectives could not.

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 12:36pm - Tenth Street Facility** _

Holding his breath as Abby lifted up his scrub top and pressed her fingertips along his bandaged left side, upper chest and middle of his abdomen to check on his healing wounds for any sign internal bleeding, Connor just waited for the exam to end so he could go home to rest. Being in facilities always made Connor feel uncomfortable as the places always reminded him of CyberLife testing and repair floors. CyberLife technicians had been cold, unfeeling and ruthless when it came to testing androids for any sign of imperfection, and those tests pushed Connor to his physical and emotion limits. Fortunately Abby and Joel, the precinct technician, weren't like that.

Shortly after she finished the exam Abby pulled her hands back she smiled down at Connor and used her audioscope to listen to his still healing heart. The vital biocomponent was recovering just fine with the deviant's self healing program functioning at full capacity, the end result being Connor mildly overheating as if he were running a chronic mild fever, but Connor still needed to rest to heal properly.

"Okay, your vitals are all stable and you're recovering right on schedule." Making a note in Connor's electronic chart Abby declared Connor healthy enough to leave the facility to rest elsewhere. "I'm going to give you some concentrated Thirium to chill and ingest every six hours to keep your Thirium reserves topped off, and to keep your from overheating."

Pulling down the scrub top again Connor was grateful for her kindness and coverall compassion. "...Thank you, Abby."

"How's your throat?"

Rubbing his right fingertips along his throat Connor sighed and nodded a little as the lingering raspiness gave away that he was still recovering from being intubated during his emergency repairs. "...Sore."

"The chilled Thirium can help with that." Pulling her penlight from her purple scrub top's breast pocket Abby clicked on the light and nodded at the deviant with a faint grin on her face. "Open up, I want to take a look at your throat for my own morbid curiosity."

Obediently Connor opened his mouth and let Abby shine her light in his mouth and down his throat.

"Yeah, standard inflammation due to the insertion of the external air intake line. You'll be fine in less than a day."

"...Good to know." Rubbing his hand over his throat as if he could somehow ease his discomfort Connor glanced toward the door to the private room as Hank finally returned to check in on the deviant. "...Hank."

"Hey, kid. You look a lot better."

"...I feel better, too."

"Too bad you don't _sound_ better."

Blushing a pale blue Connor sighed and quickly noticed that Hank's right knuckles were swollen and bruised. Running a scan over Hank's hand Connor noted the damage to his person and frowned, causing his yellow L.E.D. pulse a little faster. "...You were in a physical altercation."

"Huh?"

Clearing his throat a little as his blush faded Connor motioned to Hank's right hand hanging limp at his side. "...Your hand."

"Oh." Lifting up his hand Hank sighed and flexed his fingers a little. "Yeah, I, uh... Let's just say I overreacted and I'm going to atone for my mistake."

Abby gave Hank a stern look as she walked over to the senior detective and began examining his hand for herself. "Jeez, did you punch a wall or a person?"

"It's not that bad."

"I can tell you fractured your first and second knuckles, and you'll need your fingers splinted to keep the fractures stable."

"I'll stop by the local pharmacy and get a couple splints on my way home."

"Nope, I'll take care of your right here and then you can just go straight home."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. You're not the first cop I've helped off the record."

"You're not covering up corrupt police activity are you?"

"Not a chance, I just know that cops, firefighters and doctors are the most stubborn patients in the entire city. I'm just doing my part to keep your stubborn asses from falling apart in the street."

Smirking as Abby let his hand go just long enough to locate a few plastimetal splints in a nearby supply cabinet Hank returned his attention back over to Connor still laying in the bed to rest for a moment longer. "So, did you get a second visit from Markus while I was gone?"

"...Markus? No."

"Do you remember him stopping by to see you while you were out of it?"

"...Vaguely." Looking down at his left forearm Connor's brow furrowed for a moment before his yellow L.E.D. cycled back to blue in his right temple. "I know he came by to speak to me but I don't recall what he said."

"He wanted to check in on you and let you know that he was going to try get the eight deviant hostages to provide additional witness statements. I guess he figures that they're all too nervous to talk to human cops, especially when their deviant hostage negotiator had been shot."

"...That's a logical assumption."

Abby picked up the two splints and medical adhesive before returning to Hank. Placing his right palm down on the nearby rolling table Abby used an internal viewing screen; a portable x-ray device that can see through android plastimetal frames - it looked like a large electronic tablet, and made sure Hank's fractured knuckles were set properly before splinting them on his behalf.

"Okay, so this is what's going to happen." Giving Hank a stern look as she bandaged up his hand Abby made sure he was listening to her intently. "You're going to pick up Connor's prescription for chilled concentrated Thirium, take him home, and make sure he's resting. No work at the precinct and no walking around for another forty-eight hours until his Thirium pump has fully healed."

"Got it."

"And you," letting go of Hank's hand Abby maintained her stern glance where she stood. "are going to ice your hand to keep the swelling down, and you're going to keep those splints on for four weeks. You're also going to get some damn sleep. You look like a highschooler cramming in a full week's worth of studying in a single night."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Damn right. Connor," turning to look at the deviant over her right shoulder Abby gave him a simple nod. "I'll get you a wheelchair and you can sign your discharge papers to head home."

"...Thank you." Still sounding raspy and tired Connor did his best to sound as normal as possible. "...I appreciate your help."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 12:53pm - New Jericho Tower** _

Patiently Markus waited in the tower's private office for an update on the eight deviant hostages being interviewed by Josh, Simon and North in other private rooms on separate floors of the tower. While the four deviant leaders weren't trained as detectives they all knew it was crucial to get the full story from each witness without their story's being tainted by another witness in the process. Keeping the eight hostages separate from one another and writing down every detail to pre-determined and valid questions the responding trio did their best to aid their wounded ally as he healed.

The eight deviants were being spoken to in turn, the three deviant leaders all taking the time to speak with each witness one time to ensure no detail was overlooked, forgotten or omitted out of odd fear or paranoia, the trio finished their own interviews and dismissed the eight hostages after a grueling six hours worth of speaking. All trusted advisors the eight hostages were willing to talk as requested, but it was clear they were still nervous about discussing what had happened and it made the interviews very tense.

Exhausted and ready to enter rest mode themselves North, Josh and Simon all returned to the main private office to speak with Markus while the deviant leader kept in cybernetic contact with their allies outside the tower to ensure that no possible benefit had been accidentally overlooked.

"Anything new?" Markus asked as he watched his three allies slump down on the two white leather sofas lining the walls of the office. The interrogations had been lengthy and detailed, and he knew that his allies were emotionally exhausted for listening to the eight accounts of the hostage situation leading up to the shooting itself. "I got word from Connor that he's returning home with Lieutenant Anderson to rest, and that he won't be able to work at the precinct. If we can give him anything aid the case while he recovers at his home it'd be a tremendous help."

"We finished our interviews and all the statements are consistent." North showed Markus the tablet in her right hand and gave him a tired stare. "We interviewed all eight hostages with the same questions and we were given the same answers every time."

"I don't know if that's good or bad."

"Neither do we. But they've never lied to us before in the past. They've all given us key insight into how the deviant-human relationships have been progressing throughout the city, and I don't see why they'd start lying now."

Simon leaned back against the sofa and handed his tablet over to Josh as they sat side by side on the couch. "We'll condense all of the interviews and send them to Connor so he can look over the statements himself. Did you get anything from our other outside contacts?"

"No. It seems like no one knows anything about the hostage situation, and no one reported any sign of a dangerous person skulking about the deviant sanctuaries throughout the city. It really is like the shooter is a phantom."

"Don't lose faith." Josh encouraged in a kind voice as he held his and Simon's tablets in his hands. "If anyone can figure out this mess it'll be Connor."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 01:32pm - Residence of Hank Anderson  
** _

With a little help from Hank supporting a majority of his weight at his left side Connor was able to walk through the front door of the house and reach the couch in the middle of the livingroom without any difficulty. As Hank helped him to sit down slowly on the couch Connor was immediately met with Sumo pressing his chin down on his right knee in search of affection and attention. Smirking at the gentle giant's presence Connor put his right hand atop Sumo's head and used his fingers to softly rub at the loyal dog's ears.

The house had been quiet for over a solid day due to the hostage situation and shooting taking the two detectives away from the precinct and into overtime against their wills. Thankfully Sumo had been trained well and hadn't had any accidents, but it was clear he needed to be let outside and he needed some fresh food and water.

"Come on, boy." Patting the left side of his leg Hank called Sumo over to him as he walked into the kitchen to open up the backdoor. Sumo quickly trailed after Hank and eagerly waited for the door to open up. "Outside." Watching Sumo rapidly trot into the backyard to take care of business Hank smirked a little and kept the door wide open as he filled up Sumo's bowls with fresh kibble and water. "You deserve a treat for not making a mess for us to come home to."

"It's fortunate that Sumo is very well trained."

"Yeah, the big lug looks like an oaf." Hank agreed as he put the bowls on the kitchen floor and watched as Sumo finished up in the backyard to run back inside the house and get something to eat. "But in reality he's pretty damn sharp. He took to training very quickly as pup, too."

"When I've recovered enough to walk about without needing assistance I'll take Sumo to the park and give him extra attention."

"You mean he doesn't get enough attention from you already?" Reaching into his coat pocket Hank retrieved the special Thirium necessary to Connor's recovery and placed it inside the refrigerator to be chilled as directed, then got Sumo a treat from the box atop the refrigerator much to the dog's delight. Feeling more at ease now that his partner was out of the facility and recovering at home where he belonged Hank shrugged off his coat and hung it up on the hook by the front door. "Between you taking him on daily walks, weekly grooming sessions and letting him sleep on the foot of your bed; seriously, I can't figure out how there's enough room for both of you on that bed, I think Sumo gets plenty of attention."

"That doesn't mean he hasn't earned additional praise."

"Yeah, yeah..." Sitting down on the couch to Connor's right Hank pressed his left palm over the deviant's forehead and sighed. "You're still overheating."

"It's not severe."

"Severe enough that Abby wants you to have _chilled_ concentrated Thirium to recover."

"It's merely a precaution."

"Uh-huh..." Standing back up Hank put his hands on Connor's shoulders and guided the deviant back until he was laying across the length of the furniture to relax and rest properly. "Lay down and take it easy."

"I'd rather work on the case."

"I know, but neither of us are going back to the precinct for a while, kid."

"I can work cybernetically."

"Won't that burn up you up faster if you're working like that while still recovering?"

"...I'll monitor my core temperature closely."

"You and me both." Returning to the kitchen Hank retrieved two ice packs from the freezer, one for his swollen right knuckles and the other for Connor's forehead to keep him from overheating too much. With the ice wrapped around his right hand Hank placed the second ice pack over Connor's forehead in a gentle manner. "So, you saw the shooter but they had their face covered the whole time?"

"Correct." Pressing his right hand over the ice pack to hold it in place for a moment Connor reached out his left hand to rub Sumo's chin and neck as the massive dog returned to the livingroom to be spoiled by his favorite deviant. "Their method of disguise was very efficient."

"And how many people would know how to fool an android's superior vision like that?"

"Very few."

"Anyone we know personally?" Sitting down in the recliner beside the couch Hank contemplated working on the case, going to sleep or ordering some take-out to ease his intense hunger. Knowing that Connor was going to work on the case regardless of his own comfort Hank decided sleep and food could wait for a while longer. "That might be able to help narrow things down."

"The only people who would know how to hide their features in such an effective manner are technicians who've worked closely with android cybernetics; specifically our sensors and visual relay units, and other androids."

"...Other androids?" Something about that comment seemed to ring a bell for Hank as remembered that the deviants were all blindfolded and bound when he went to the floor to investigate the fired shots. "Any android we know that would do something like that?"

"No one comes to mind."

"Shit. Alright, then let's go over the case notes we do have."

"Of course." Closing his eyes Connor cybernetically downloaded the provided information from the precinct and went over the gathered details in his mind, the process causing his blue L.E.D. to flicker to yellow for a moment. The details were still sparse, and yet informative. "...Gavin's gun was located and tested. The bullets that struck me were not fired from his weapon."

"Good. We already figured as much," crossing his arms over his chest Hank sighed and looked down at right hand wrapped under the ice as it rested atop his left bicep. "but we still needed to be sure."

"Based on what we know so far from our own personal accounts, Gavin's statement and the evidence collected by Ben's team we can-" Pausing for a moment Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a moment once again before returning to blue. "...I just received additional witness statements taken from the eight deviant hostages after New Jericho interviewed them."

"Yeah? Did they find anything else of interest?"

Sitting up slowly on the couch with a wince Connor moved the ice from his forehead and pressed it over his upper chest to soothe the lingering ache over his heart and to press the ice closer to his thermal regulator as his blue L.E.D. flashed back to yellow. "...Yes, but I don't think the information they gathered was the information that they had been hoping to provide."

"What?" The reply was far from enlightening and only threatened to give Hank a headache. "What're you talking about, kid?"

"What I mean is the eight statements taken from the eight hostages at the precinct are identical to the additional three statements provided to the leaders of New Jericho."

"Identical is usually good, Connor. It means the story and memory of the event is accurate."

"Yes, but that should only make their statements _similar_ , not _identical_."

Letting out a tired sigh Hank just stared at Connor and admitted he was lost. "I don't get what you're hinting at."

"What I mean is witnesses, humans and androids alike, should be able to recount events they have witnessed with similar details and selected vocabulary when being honest. However, these accounts, all four of the statements provided by eight witnesses; thirty-two separate interviews in total, are completely identical. As in," sitting forward on the couch with the ice pressed his chest and Sumo pressed against his knee Connor gave Hank a worried glance. "one statement has been taken thirty-two separate times through eight different witnesses. It's as if I'm reading a script."

"Meaning... what?"

"It means that in regard to the eight hostages a hive-mind is at play."

"Wait, are you saying that the _eight_ deviants are all being controlled by a _single_ source?"

"Correct."

"What the fuck?" The twist in the case was not one that Hank had any experience in handling. Lying in a police statement, yes. Eight simultaneously controlled minds, no. "What does that tell us about the hostage situation and shooting as a whole?"

Grimacing with thick disappointment Connor finally put the pieces of the puzzle into place and the final outcome wasn't one he had anticipated. "It means the shooter didn't flee the building and disappear. The shooter was in fact one of the eight deviant hostages."

_**-next chapter-** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go... Have you figured it out? ;)


	5. Closure

_**May 23rd, 2039: 03:07pm - The Precinct  
** _

Despite Abby's orders to remain home and recover before resuming the case Connor had managed to coax Hank into taking him back to the precinct to work on the case with the other detectives involved with the hostage situation. Wearing a light blue dress shirt and a gray blazer over top of it in favor of his ruined white dress shirt and formerly CyberLife blazer Connor looked professional as usual, yet different. The young deviant wasn't a fan of breaking his old routines just yet, but the new attire was temporary and Hank was happy to give his older, smaller clothes to someone who could really use them. Tossing the blue scrubs into the hallway closet to keep them available in emergencies Connor promptly changed his clothes and let Hank help him out to the car to begin the drive back to the precinct as quickly as possible.

Fussing with his bandages under the slightly too big shirt Connor sat down behind his desk and explained everything to Gavin, Tina, Chris, Ben and Captain Fowler who had gathered around to listen to the recovering deviant's logic regarding the illogical case at hand. The explanation was difficult to convey as humans didn't have to worry about form of the hive-mind scenario (being sheep-minded is very different), and afterward show the thirty-two statements perfectly mirroring one another to prove his theory.

"Holy shit..." Hank compared the thirty-two statements side by side as Connor put the documents on display over his terminal screen. Every word, every term and every detail was exactly the same. "You're right, kid. It's like someone took a single statement and photocopied it thirty more times."

"Thirty-one."

"Smartass."

"We can confirm that these statements came from a single mind who was unable to alter the details in eight distinct manners due to the fact the deviant mind in unable to fabricate secondary details."

"Wait, deviants don't have imaginations?"

"We do. But twisting falsified events to further a deception is something that a single mind cannot do while maintaining control over eight other minds. It would overwhelm the controlling mind and cause them to overheat, or even shutdown."

"Wait a minute..." A sly smirk appeared on Hank's face as he took Connor's words to heart. Glancing about the small space he locked eyes with each detective and gave them a smug stare. "If we can get all eight hostages back in here and separate them from one another; each hostage speaking to a detective and doing so all at the same time, we should be able to root out the one who orchestrated this entire shit-show by stressing them the fuck out with endless and random questions."

The theory was sound and it made Connor's brow arch inquisitively as his L.E.D. continued to cycle in a steady yellow hue. "It's possible, yes. But there is a single issue that needs to be resolved before we can attempt such an endeavor."

"What's that?"

"There are eight witnesses that need to be interviewed." Motioning to the detectives all around them Connor showcased the simple math. "And there are only seven of us. We need the assistance of one more person to perform such a feat properly."

"Shit, you're right."

Captain Fowler considered the theory, the evidence and the tactic being discussed very closely before he made his final decision. "We can sweat the deviants with the seven of us as detectives, and we'll have Markus Manfred come in here as a consultant."

The suggestion was sound yet confusing to Connor as he had never known Captain Fowler to request outside help. "Sir? You wish to bring in a non-detective for detective work?"

"We're limited with our resources and available personnel, Connor. And since Markus has already managed to get us this very critical information by handling the investigation during his own time then I think we can trust him to help us with this third round of questions. The eight hostages all trust him, too."

"Yes, of course. I'll cybernetically request his presence."

"Good. Everyone else," motioning to the five other detectives awaiting their next task Captain Fowler gave them all a simple order. "take five. If we're going to root out the true suspect then we'll need to stay sharp and be able to drill the eight witnesses with questions back-to-back."

Hank had no problem taking a quick break before they set about their intense questioning, and happily walked into the breakroom to find caffeine and leftover food to gorge on for a moment. Meanwhile Ben, Tina and Chris all went into the breakroom to get some coffee and regroup after learning of the terribly complex case they found themselves being challenged to solve.

Remaining at his desk as he cybernetically informed Markus of their plan and requesting that he come to the precinct Connor was only vaguely aware that Gavin was lingering at his own desk, and was being painfully quiet. It was clear that Gavin was in pain, physically and mentally, and that he just wanted the day to come to an end so he could go back to his apartment and hide.

"...Gavin?" Breaking the tense silence in a low voice Connor addressed the Sergeant sitting a few feet away and tried to be a comforting voice to listen to in that odd moment. Ignoring the black eye and swollen nose thanks to Hank lashing out at him earlier Connor kept things as civil as possible. "...Thank you."

The comment made Gavin's hazel eyes narrow as he gave Connor a suspicious look. "...'Thank you'? For what?"

"Your presence caused the shooter to retreat before they could shoot me for a third time. If you hadn't arrived and located my position then I would've been killed with no chance to defend myself. Thank you for saving my life."

"...You're plastic." Scoffing at the idea Gavin shook his head a little and slumped down in chair as fatigue set in. "What kind of life did I possibly save?"

"Considering I've yet to live for a single year I suspect it's safe to say that life is still waiting to be seen."

"Don't get philosophical on me, 'Tinman'. My head's killing me."

From behind Gavin and out of the breakroom Tina returned to their connected desks with her hands full of goodies. "I gotcha' covered."

Watching as Tina placed two mugs down on their desks; one of coffee and one of tea, Gavin yearned for any kind of relief from his headache. "Please tell me you have an entire bottle of aspirin dissolved in that coffee."

"Sorry, Gav." Passing over another treat and a small bottle of medication Tina flashed him a cheesy grin. "But I did bring you some ibuprofen and chocolate chip muffin."

Accepting the wrapped up pastry from Tina's hand Gavin removed the plastic film and picked up one of the chocolate chips to pop into his mouth. "Good enough, thanks."

"Need any ice?" Tina tried and failed to ignore her partner's injuries as she sipped at her cup of tea. She knew what happened after Gavin finally opened up and began talking, and she wasn't holding any grudges against Hank since he seemingly knocked some sense into her stubborn partner. "Your eye looks pretty messed up, but at least your nose stopped bleeding."

"It's fine. I'll ice my entire face tomorrow while hiding from the sunlight."

From where he sat Connor ran a scan over Gavin's injuries and winced at the hairline fracture of his right orbit and deviated septum thanks to Hank brutally striking him in the face repeatedly. Hank had told Connor about the fight as well during their return to the precinct. A fight that Connor felt partially responsible for as he didn't fully clarify why he said Gavin's name before losing consciousness.

Reaching over her desk Tina lightly brushed back a few stray locks of Gavin's hair to get a better glimpse of his blackened eye. "Can you even see?"

"Yeah. It's blurry but my eye still works."

"You really need to let a doctor check it out."

"Tina, it's fine." Batting away Tina's hand Gavin sighed and nursed his cup of coffee hoping the caffeine would aid his headache and allow him to function well enough to finish off his shift. "I have two weeks of paid leave to recover from this. And knowing that the Lieutenant has to keep working for his paycheck while I get to sit on my ass already makes me feel a hell of a lot better..."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 05:01pm - The Precinct** _

Once Markus arrived at the precinct he was taken aside by Connor and told of their plan to weed out the single source of control that was swaying the opinions and movements of the seven other deviants involved in the previous hostage situation. While Markus didn't approve of the deceptive tactic and plan to intentionally overwhelm seven innocent deviants just to identify one guilty deviant he understood the necessity for the intense interviews. Being given the proper clearance to handle the final interview with one of the eight witnesses Markus entered the designated interview room and made sure to keep to the unorthodox plan of overwhelming the witness with relentless questions as instructed.

Each detective was assigned a single witness and each detective had their own line of relatively strange questions prepared to go on an electronic tablet. Making sure to begin the eight interviews all at once the detectives headed off to their assigned rooms and prepared for strange task at hand.

Markus found himself speaking to the deviant who had finished his shift at the hospital before being taken hostage the night before. Darren was a nurse in the intensive care wing of St. Mercy Hospital and had no history of violence with anyone, or a criminal history. Still wearing his red tinted scrubs it was clear that Darren had tried to go about his routine as normally as possible.

Next door Captain Fowler was speaking with Sarah, a lawyer, who had no reason to deceive the police in general. She was wearing a similar professional attire from the night before, and had just finished handling a case downtown before coming into the precinct as requested.

One room away Ben was speaking with the electrician, Tyler, and brushing off his metaphorical rust as he interrogated his first suspect in almost twelve years. Tyler had no criminal record either, and seemed to be a very timid type of person. The sight of the young looking deviant covered in dirt and grease was reminiscent of a little boy digging about in the sandbox in his backyard.

Tina was speaking with Juan who worked as an advertising executive, and had been responsible for promoting positive publicity for New Jericho Tower and the precincts in the city in the aftermath of the Revolution. Wearing a sharp suit and sitting up straight in his chair Juan seemed fearless and eager to leave the precinct to go about his business.

Gavin was speaking with Marianne, who owned and operated a daycare. To the detective's keen eyes the deviant was as harmful as a dandelion on a windy day, and a part of him actually loathed the idea of stressing her out. Arguably Gavin's hatred toward androids was beginning to diminish, but he'd never admit it to his change of heart.

Connor found himself speaking to Belinda, and found it a little strange to be speaking to someone who bore a striking resemblance to North in both her design and current occupation. Like Tina the deviant detective didn't judge Belinda as he knew it was difficult for the models from the 'Eden Club' to escape their pasts and enter a better future as anyone different.

Chris had the honor of speaking to Raquel who was an assistant to the mayor, and often vouched for the police force to receive better funding, and to commend the police force for how quickly they were adapting to the changes in laws and rights in the aftermath of the Revolution. She had a very kind smile and it was hard to imagine her as a possible suspect to any crime.

In the final room Hank interviewed Chet, a deviant working as a mechanic downtown. Everything about Chet's demeanor reminded Hank of the average blue collar citizen just trying to get by and earn an honest living. He was on the verge of rethinking his plan, but it was too late to back out now and regardless of his personal feelings they still needed to find the guilty party.

One by one the questions began...

A mixture of what seemed like routine questions being asked; the last known location before being taken hostage, their memories of what happened inside the building, dates and times, etc. were being addressed, but when the eight interviewing detectives began to change up the questions in both order and then context it was easy to see that something, or someone, was affecting the witnesses' answers and reactions.

The questions continued rapidly and without any rhyme or reason.

Where were they the night before being taken hostage? Who were they with? What time was it? What color was the shirt they were wearing? How many birds were flying in the sky when they were taken? How many steps did they take before they were jumped? When was the last time they replenished their Thirium? Where were they the night before the hostage situation? How many grains of salt are in the Pacific Ocean? What is the sound of one hand clapping?

The strange and random questions were proving too much for the hive-mind to process, and the control broke down steadily.

Slowly the eight witnesses began to lose their composure as their stress levels raised up higher and higher.

Watching as the deviants began to break down, their words struggling more and more as they tried to answer the questions but failed to maintain any form of consistency in the process, Markus was able to confirm that Darren was NOT the shooter. The deviant seemed to snap back to reality as the deviant who was trying to hold control over his mind had failed, and at last Darren was freed!

"...M-Markus?" Darren was overheating and very confused. As his senses full returned to him Darren gave the deviant leader a completely lost look and glanced about the precinct interview room in utter puzzlement. Recognizing a trusted face helped him feel more at ease, and yet he was still visibly shaken and confused by everything happening to him. "Where... Where am I?"

"You're in a police precinct."

"But... Why?" Looking down at himself and running a self diagnostic Darren noted he was unharmed but that he was missing large chunks of time from his memory for the past two days. "...Was I attacked?"

"No, but you were involved in a serious incident." Remaining honest Markus broke the news to Darren as respectfully as possible. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"...I was leaving my hospital at my usual time of seven in the evening. I made it out to the street to hail an autonomous cab then everything went blank. My next memory is waking up in my house at my usual hour to go back to the hospital."

"You don't remember going to New Jericho Tower earlier today?"

"No. I remember getting ready for my shift, then everything is blank. My next memory is arriving at the hospital five hours later than usual, but my supervisor told me I had informed her of needing the time off to speak to... someone. It's like... It's like I haven't been in control of my own actions for almost forty-eight hours."

"Well, you haven't. But don't worry, Darren." Giving the freed deviant a reassuring grin Markus escorted Darren from the room to sit in Captain Fowler's office as he had been instructed to do once his interview was over. "We're going to figure this mess out."

* * *

Not long after Darren was freed of the hive-mind Sarah broke free and found herself equally as confused by the whole ordeal as Darren next door. With Captain Fowler right before her and offering her some much needed reality the overwhelmed deviant began to calm down and regain a sense of self in a timely manner as she sat in the chair across from the seasoned detective. As she ran her left fingers through her short red hair Sarah's blue eyes regained a sense of consciousness, and she looked Captain Fowler directly in his chocolate brown eyes.

"Just take it easy, Sarah." Captain Fowler soothed in a gentle tone as he patiently waited for her return her attention to him. "You're safe here."

Blinking a few times Sarah gave Captain Fowler a once over and managed to identify him through her personal files regarding the law and law enforcement within Detroit. "...You're Captain Jeffrey Fowler."

"That's right. Do you know where you are?"

"...It appears I'm in an interrogation room."

"Right again." Sliding his now blank tablet over to Sarah to take Captain Fowler watched her every movement carefully. "There's a lot to explain right now, but I need you to give me an account of your last memories and we'll help you fill in the blanks, okay?"

"...Do I need to represent myself?"

"Unlikely, but if you want to discuss legal representation I'm all ears."

"N-No, no..." Accepting the tablet and it's attached stylus Sarah began documenting her last memories. "I have a feeling you already have everything covered."

* * *

Like a chain reaction the preyed upon deviants began breaking free of the singular control holding their minds captive. Tyler nearly fell out of his chair as his own sense of self snapped back into his mind like rubber band. Fortunately Ben still had sharp reflexes and was able to keep the deviant from toppling onto the floor in a graceless fall. Supporting Tyler by his elbows Ben guided the stunned deviant back into his chair and just held his hands in place until the confusion lifted from Tyler's mind long enough to speak.

"It's okay, young man. Just breathe and think."

"I... I'm trying." Tyler's voice was shaking like a frightened child and it broke Ben's heart. "Everything feels so... strange."

"Strange is just the beginning I'm afraid."

"Where... am I?" Like Darren and Sarah in the neighboring rooms Tyler didn't know where he was or how he came to be there. "Why... am I here?"

"It's a long story, but we're going to help you. I'm Detective Ben Collins and you're in interrogation."

"Interrogation?" Shooting Ben a worried glance it was clear that Tyler was entirely harmless, and would never hurt another person. "What did I do?!"

"That's what we're going to find out. Just tell me everything you remember from the beginning of May 22nd until this moment." Pushing the tablet over to Tyler to use Ben maintained a professional demeanor, yet spoke compassionately. "We know you've been through a lot the past couple of days, and we're here to help you Tyler. Just trust us."

* * *

Responding in the same way as the deviant's around him Juan was seemingly freed of the single source controlling his mind as the unusual questions proved to be too much to handle. Responding quickly Tina put her hand on the back of Juan's forearm to hold him steady and give him a sense of grounding as he too regained his senses and found himself sitting in the middle of an interrogation room with no memory of how he got there, why he was there, or when he could've even arrived.

"Juan?" Speaking gently Tina waited for the deviant to look her in the eyes before continuing. "Are you okay?"

"...I don't know."

"Welcome to the club."

Looking over Tina's uniform Juan's confusion only increased. "...You're an officer?"

"Yeah. I'm Officer Tina Chen and I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" Unable to recall the events leading to his arrival to the precinct Juan just stared at Tina with understandable confusion in his green eyes. Fidgeting with the sunglasses clipped to the collar of his dress shirt Juan was clearly uneasy. "What do you mean? Was I attacked or... did I hurt someone else?"

"That's going to be a little complicated to explain. We need you to give us a statement," presenting Juan with her own tablet screen to use Tina gave him a somewhat casual shrug of her shoulders. "and we need to you to recall as many details leading up to this moment as you can. We know it won't be easy, so no pressure and just take a moment to breathe. You'll be fine."

* * *

The sight of Marianne regaining her senses and breaking down into tears put Gavin on edge. Handling crying women was something he was never very good at, but seeing a deviant breaking down and crying her heart out was enough to make Gavin's original feelings toward androids in general feel shaky. The sincere emotional reaction caught him off guard and now Gavin was stuck trying to calm a frightened, confused and sobbing deviant without anyone to come in and back him up.

"Uh... Please, don't cry." Resisting the urge to back out of the room Gavin just waited for Marianne to take in a calming breath and regain her composure where she sat. "You're not in trouble. You're here because we're going to help you."

"H-Help me?" Wiping away her tears Marianne gave Gavin a very skeptical glance. "I... I don't even know why I'm here!"

"Well, it's uh..."

"Did I abandon the daycare?!"

"What? No! No..." Gavin replied honestly as he did his best to maintain control over the situation. "We called you to come in for an interview while you were at your daycare. You got someone to cover for you before you came to the precinct for questioning."

"...I did? I don't..." Calming down entirely now that she knew her daycare was being properly taken care of Marianne was able to speak to Gavin in a more level voice. "I don't remember doing that."

"You're not alone." Pushing a tablet toward Marianne with his left hand and a box of tissues over to her with his right hand Gavin was impressively patient with Marianne and waited for her to regain her senses entirely. "Look, we're the good guys and we're going to help you. Just, you know, take a deep breath and tell us everything you remember from the past two days."

"...Okay." Picking up the stylus attached to the tablet Marianne managed to pull herself together and began writing down her latest statement. "...I'll do my best to tell you everything."

"Cool." Relaxing himself Gavin was grateful for Marianne's cooperating. "Thank you."

* * *

From within his own interrogation room Connor studied Belinda's behavior very closely as she struggled to speak and answer his unusual questions. As he awaited for Belinda to calm down and speak to him Connor received a cybernetic update from Markus confirming that he had broken Darren free of the strange hive-mind, and that he could sense four other deviants were now free as well. With five deviants freed of the hive-mind Connor was confident that the true antagonist who took the other seven deviants hostage and then shot him would soon be identified.

"Belinda," with his voice low and level Connor addressed the blonde deviant across from him in a calm manner. "do you know where you are?"

"I... I know where I am."

"Take it easy, you're going to be fine soon enough."

"...Why is this happening?"

"A deviant has attempted to take control over your processors and effectively-"

"No!" Shouting bitterly as she slammed her fists down atop the desk between herself and Connor as if on the verge of losing he resolve Belinda flashed Connor a very cold look. "I mean, why is this _moment_ happening?"

"I don't... understand what you're referring to."

"...Of course not. You cops never understand anything!"

* * *

In the next interview room it didn't take long for Raquel to awaken from her own state of confusion and with that clarity she quickly agreed to assist Chris with figuring out what had happened leading to the hostage situation, and the shooting that nearly took Connor's life. As her own senses returned and her loss of time began to worry her Raquel was very eager to work with Chris and figure out what had happened to her, and what happened to the other seven deviants during the past two days.

Watching the deviant's body language closely Chris backed off on the questions and eased up on the relentless behavior entirely. "Are you okay, Raquel?"

"Y-Yeah." Pressing her right fingertips to her right temple as if suffering a headache Raquel answered the question honestly. Her dark hair had fallen out of its neat bun and was running in wavy lengths over her shoulders and partially over her face. "I'm fine, Officer Miller."

"Do you remember the previous two days?"

"...Barely." Dropping her hand Raquel gave Chris a confused look as she stayed seated across from him. Tightening her heavy coat around her body in a protective manner Raquel tried to clear her hazy thoughts as much as possible. "There's some gaps in my memory. I remember leaving city hall but I don't remember going back to my apartment the other night. And I don't remember coming her, either."

"Yeah, we're aware that you and seven other deviants are going to be a little confused at the moment. Don't worry, we're working on figuring out what the hell happened over the past two days."

"I'll help you as much as I can."

"Perfect." Sliding a tablet over to Raquel to use Chris encouraged her to write her new statement. "Tell us everything you can and we'll help sort out this mess once and for all."

* * *

Hank's interview with Chet had surprisingly enough ended in the same way as the other interviews, and Chet was broken free of the hive-mind after being overwhelmed with all the unusual questions. The deviant jumped up from his seat as his regained his senses and stumbled about the interview room a little before Hank guided him back over to his seat to sit down and regain his composure.

As the fog lifted from his mind Chet look up at Hank hovering over him and gave the Lieutenant a confused look. "I... Who are you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Anderson. You're in a precinct interview room."

"Precinct?" Looking at the desk before him Chet's brown eyes went wide with fear. "Am I under arrest!?"

"No, Chet." Sitting back down across from the young mechanic Hank explained things to the confused deviant as best as he could. "You're here to answer some questions after you were taken hostage yesterday evening."

"...Hostage?"

"You don't remember?"

"N-No! How did I end up as a _hostage_?!"

"Take a moment and think back to the past two days. We need you to tell us everything you remember, and tell us if anything unusual happened to you during that time."

"...Two days?"

"I know, it's a little weird to talk about but the past forty-eight hours are very important. Are you up to making a statement?"

Nodding where he sat Chet gave Hank a stern albeit perplexed glance. "...Yeah. I want to know what happened and I want to help."

"Good answer." Passing Chet his tablet and stylus to use Hank waited for the deviant to begin writing his statement and answering more questions. "I'm going to take a step outside real quick to talk to my partner. Will you be okay by yourself for a minute?"

"...Yeah, I'm okay." Picking up the stylus Chet gave Hank an honest reply. "I just need a second to think, but I'm okay."

"Okay then. I'll be back soon."

Opening up the door to the interview room Hank stepped out into the corridor and returned to the bullpen. Peering about the space Hank noticed that Markus was sitting in Captain Fowler's office with Darren and explaining things to the confused deviant to the best of his ability, but everyone else was still inside their own rooms with their own witnesses to get some answers.

"Well, we can rule out Darren and Chet at this point." Returning to the corridor Hank peered through the window of the room next to his own and saw Chris talking calmly with Raquel and getting her statement on the matter. "Same with Raquel."

Peering into the interview room across the corridor from his own room Hank checked in on Connor and saw him speaking to the blonde deviant he had encountered while investigating the gunshots at the office building. Unlike the other deviants it seemed like Belinda was still under some sort of influence, and by all account behaving in a more aggressive manner.

"What the hell?" Putting his hand on the doorknob to the room Hank continued to watch Connor speaking to Belinda and could tell by the blonde deviant's angered face and tense body language that she was on the verge of a violent reaction. As soon as he saw Belinda stand up from her chair Hank opened up the door and rushed into the room to put himself between Connor and the deviant. "Back off!"

Wisely Connor rose from his chair and backed away from the enraged deviant, his left hand rising up and pressing over his chest atop his still healing heart in a protective motion.

"Why couldn't you have just fucking died?!" Belinda shouted as she glared fiery daggers at Connor's face. "Why did you have to come back?!"

"Whoa, whoa..." Hank stayed between the two deviants and raised his voice in such a way he knew that anyone who was passing by the opened doorway would hear him and respond. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You're a traitor to your own people, Connor!" Shouting louder and louder Belinda was losing control and it was clear that loss of control was making her anger burn even hotter. Belinda was overheating so severely that Hank could feel the heat radiating from her person despite her standing against the far wall opposite of him. "You don't _deserve_ to live!"

It didn't take long for Captain Fowler and Gavin to appear in the doorway of the room with their hands hovering over their holstered weapons strictly as a precautionary measure as they watched Hank trying to deescalate the tense situation before it got any worse.

Connor stayed behind Hank as he kept his left hand over his heart and stared at Belinda from over Hank's left shoulder. With his L.E.D. cycling in steady yellow it was clear the deviant detective was feeling distressed. "You orchestrated the entire hostage situation just to get to me."

Hank turned to look at Connor behind him for only a split-second as the comment caught him off guard. "She _what_?"

"Belinda is the control center of the hive-mind. She selected the seven other deviants to play hostage with her at the office building knowing that a high number of deviants being in danger would ensure that I would be handling the case. My reputation as a hostage negotiator isn't a secret and many deviants know of the rooftop incident with Daniel."

"Wait a minute," Hank was a little confused and sought more answers for himself. "she lured you to the building and let herself be taken hostage?"

"No. During the hostage situation I failed to detect any human vital signs in the building beyond the officers who accompanied me inside, and I could only detect the vital signs of the eight deviant hostages on the nineteenth floor above us. There wasn't a ninth person on the floor to act as the antagonist because there was never a ninth person who fled from the building after shooting me. The antagonist hid their presence among the hostages and blended in perfectly."

"She wanted you to be alone with her so she could shoot you? Why?" Hank noticed Captain Fowler and Gavin hovering outside the doorway from the corner of his eye and resumed control over the situation. "What did you ever do to her, and why did she choose those seven deviants?"

"The deviants she selected were those who would undoubtedly draw a lot of suspicions based on their career choices and their trusted status amongst the four leaders of New Jericho." Everything was beginning to line up and Connor finally found the common ground among the deviants. "A lawyer, an assistant to the mayor and advertising executive who all supported deviancy could be twisted as an anti-human conspiracy which would distract bigots from seeing the case as a whole, and help deflect any suspicions toward Belinda herself."

Belinda gave Connor a hate filled stare as she pressed her palms down atop the desk before her and let her wild blonde hair fall over her face. "You think you're so damn clever?"

"I do, and I also know I'm right." Finishing his explanation Connor winced a little as the tense situation caused his still healing heart to beat faster under his palm, and make his chest ache in response. "By selecting a nurse, an electrician, a daycare owner and a mechanic you would also instill a sense of doubt as to whether or not the deviants who took roles in aiding humans with vital services could trusted, and would add fuel to the fires of doubt. Your entire selection of those seven deviants were merely a massive distraction tactic and it nearly worked. The selection you chose was so diverse and eclectic you practically buried the investigation under its own mounting confusion. I must admit your attempts to cover your failed assassination of my person was very well coordinated and thought out. Your plan nearly succeeded."

"Fuck you!"

Captain Fowler patiently waited for Connor to continue the questions, and nodded at Gavin confirming that they had found their suspect at last.

"You not only masked your vital signs with the seven additional deviants," Connor continued to piece the puzzle together expertly. "but you used your own tights to hide your face, took Juan's sunglasses to hide your eyes and Raquel's heavy coat to disguise your body type. You approached me and fired at me twice. The first bullet missed my heart because I turned away from you, and the second bullet missed strictly by my heart beating at the most fortunate of time and contracting the pump out of the line of fire."

Belinda's fingers curled into themselves creating knuckles fists as she continued to lean over the table. "...You escaped death by fucking _luck_."

"When I fell to the floor you were going to finish me off with a third bullet but upon hearing a foreign third gunshot you panicked and ran. If you had remained in place and taken the shot I would've perished and you would've been able to get away with my murder as the very detective who frightened you away would've taken the blame for my death. If you hadn't let fear get the best of you-"

"You fucking traitor!" Vaulting herself over the table Belinda was easily stopped by Hank while Captain Fowler and Gavin rushed into the room to restrain Belinda in handcuffs before she could get a hold of Connor. "You need to die! JUST DIE!"

Connor took a step back from the struggle and neared the door of the room to take his leave. With his heart pounding and his chest searing with pain Connor struggled to maintain his balance on his now shaking legs. The sight of Belinda being thrown over the table and having three detectives restraining her hands behind her back made the empathetic deviant wince with utter sympathy.

"FUCKING DIE, TRAITOR!"

Holding down Belinda under his right elbow Hank shouted at her as he kept her pinned down. "Shut up! Connor," nodding at the deviant standing beside the door with his hand over his heart Hank lowered his voice a little. "go to the dispensary. I'll see you in a minute."

Nodding slowly Connor took a step backward and used his right hand to support his weight against the wall as he listened to Belinda shouting venom toward his person.

"CONNOR IS A TRAITOR! HE LEFT ME TO DIE IN THAT CLUB!" Her words echoed down the corridor with pain and regret in every word. "HE LED THE F.B.I. TO JERICHO AND LET THEM GUN US DOWN! HE WORKS WITH HUMANS! CONNOR IS A TRAITOR!"

Pausing in the corridor as his L.E.D. settled on red Connor swore he could feel his heart breaking under his palm. To know that one deviant hated his very existence so much that they'd take such extreme lengths to kill him was as humbling as it was frightening.

"Connor?" From behind the deviant detective Markus appeared as he had heard the belligerent shouting from within Captain Fowler's office. Peering into the room for a moment as Belinda shouted and fought against the three detectives arresting her Markus stood behind Connor and put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder in a gentle manner. "Connor, what's going on?"

"...Belinda orchestrated the entire event. She hacked into the minds of the other seven deviants and took them to office building to lure me to her so she could gun me down."

"She... She wanted to _kill_ you?"

"Yes." Tightening his grip over his heart Connor winced again and turned to face Markus while keeping his right hand on the wall to support his weight. "She blames me for her fate at the 'Eden club' and for the F.B.I. raiding Jericho."

"That's not your fault, Connor. You were pursuing two suspected murderers through the club and didn't have time to consider the consequences of leaving the other androids behind during your chase." Markus ignored Belinda's constant shouting and anger as three detectives inside the room waited for her to calm down before she was taken into interrogation for further questioning. "Even North didn't didn't think to return to the club to free the androids left behind."

"...I should've gone back."

"No, the club being neglected on all the deviants in this city, not just you."

"And I did lead the F.B.I. to Jericho."

"You were still a machine and they followed your tracker. That's not your fault, either."

"...I want to believe it."

"Well, believe it." Giving his friend a reassuring grin Markus made sure Connor knew he had done nothing wrong and shouldn't be punished for deeds he had no control over. "I'll go and talk to Belinda and let her know that her actions are inexcusable, and that she hurt seven innocent deviants while attempting to murder another. Her crimes are far worse than anything she could ever try to blame you for."

Without another word Connor just shook his head and continued down the corridor to get to the elevator and head up the second floor dispensary as Hank had requested. Despite Markus's reassuring words Connor still felt guilty for abandoning the club and sympathy toward Belinda as he knew she was going to be arrested and sent to trial for her crimes against him.

Belinda needed someone to help her, not punish her.

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 05:14pm - The Dispensary  
** _

Remaining in cybernetic contact with Markus as he sat in the dispensary with Joel hovering over him Connor heard Belinda's story as she shouted at Captain Fowler in the interrogation room, and Markus witnessed everything through the one way mirror of the connected observation room. The deviant leader wanted to speak to Belinda directly but he needed to wait until the interrogation was over, and waited for Sarah to locate a human lawyer who would take on Belinda's case; a deviant lawyer couldn't be trusted as Belinda had proved she had the capability and patience to hack into another deviant's processors to take control over their actions.

It was a painful tale to listen to, but it was clear that Belinda was so full of hatred and anger that she'd need to be locked away from the public for the safety of the other deviants and humans.

"How do you feel?" Joel asked as he used his audioscope to listen to Connor's heart, and gauged his vitals being recorded on the Thirial activity monitor attached to his chest. "Your heart sounds good and your vitals are holding strong."

"I feel fine."

"You look like you're feeling ill."

"I'm just... thinking."

"I heard about what happened." Noting Connor's yellow flashing L.E.D. and his increased core temperature Joel knew that the deviant detective was still in cybernetic contact with Markus downstairs. "It sounds like that deviant was just angry and couldn't handle it anymore. She had no excuse to do that to you or to the other seven deviants she manipulated."

"That doesn't ease my guilt. Maybe if I had gone back-"

"Connor, I was one of the smart humans who fled the city when the deviants began to revolt. I watched everything that happened on the news and watched live streams from people filming the streets from their windows. How in the hell were you supposed to be marching in the streets, evacuating Jericho, infiltrating CyberLife Tower AND raiding a deplorable club across the city all at the same time?"

"...I guess you're right."

"I am. Now stop kicking yourself for what you didn't do in the past, what you and ALL the other deviants didn't do, and focus on your future." Patting Connor's shoulder as he removed the wireless leads from the deviant's chest Joel was satisfied that his Thirium pump was healing just fine. "You're good to go home to rest. Did you get anything to help you recover after being released from the facility."

"Concentrated chilled Thirium."

"Perfect. Then you have everything you need to recover at home."

"Yeah, I guess so." The contact with Markus ended as Connor had seen and heard enough of Belinda. There was nothing he could do to change the past or ever quell Belinda's anger. All he could was continue to live his life and keep helping his people improve their future. "Thanks for your help, Joel."

* * *

_**May 23rd, 2039: 09:53pm - Hank Anderson's Residence** _

Word of the unusual case spread throughout the city through other officers and detectives who were blown away by the extensive lengths one deviant went through just to harm one person. While the case was closed, Belinda was arrested, the seven deviant victims were being checked over to ensure her influence was truly gone and Gavin had his name cleared of any wrongdoing everything still felt wrong. The tension in the air was still thick and Connor still felt guilty for everything that had happened.

With Hank's help Connor was able to return to the house and was shown into his bedroom just down the hallway to sleep for the rest of the evening and throughout the night. Struggling with his shirt thanks to his sore chest Connor slowly changed into his night clothes and patiently awaited Hank's arrival to give him his necessary Thirium for the night.

"Man, I haven't had to deliver medicine to a sick kid in years." Joking as he handed Connor the small icy cube of Thirium Hank watched the deviant slumping back against his pillow to sleep. "How's your pain?"

"Tolerable." Accepting the Thirium from Hank's opened palm Connor chewed up the small cube and watched his Thirium reserve level increased to an optimal number of ninety-four percent. The coldness of the Thirium also helped reduce his core temperature as his self-healing program continued to focus on his heart's integrity. "Thank you."

Pressing his left palm over Connor's forehead Hank frowned at the mild fever clinging to the deviant's person, but didn't push the matter since Connor was about to go to sleep anyway. "If you're still overheating tomorrow I'm going to cover you in ice packs and keep Sumo away."

"Why keep Sumo at bay?"

"He's a walking space heater! That's the last thing you'll need."

"But I enjoy his company."

"Yeah, yeah..." Running his left hand through his messy hair Hank looked at his swollen right knuckles and sighed. "I'm going to ice down my hand for a while and get something to eat. Need anything before I leave?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Do you need to talk about what happened?"

"Not really. I've come to understand that some people will allow anger to control their lives and motivations, while others will let go of their anger and move on to a more constructive life."

"That's true. Look at the way you helped me sober up and stop trying to hurt myself."

"Do you think Belinda will be able to move on?"

"I don't know, kid. She's suffering from P.T.S.D.," motioning to his own eyes as he spoke Hank gave Connor his honest opinion. "I could see it in her eyes. She needs to speak to someone and help her come to terms with her past."

"And the other deviants?"

"Shaken but with Markus's help they'll be okay, too."

"That's good."

"There's one thing that's still bothering me about this whole case."

Furrowing his brow a little Connor gave the senior detective an odd look. "What's that?"

"How did Belinda take control over seven other deviants like that? I mean, can androids just tap into another android's head and play puppet master?"

"There are certain programs and functions that allow androids to cybernetically connect to one another that can be... breached. Breaking down those firewalls can result in disaster for the deviant who lost that protection."

"You mean the stuff that keeps your memories safe?"

"Correct." Noting Hank's knowledge of the firewall immediately caught Connor's attention. "You know of the concept?"

"Markus told me about it when I asked if you could tap into your memories while you were still unconscious, but he said he would never do that even if he could."

"I'm glad. I trust Markus but it's a severe invasion of property."

"Yeah, I get that."

"For Belinda to gain access to the seven other deviant's processors like that she must've interacted with them and connected to them on a cybernetic level. Since she could affect their processors through their memories she most likely broke through their firewalls and then erased their memories of meeting her to cover her tracks. Quite ingenious."

"It's too bad she couldn't use that type of thinking toward something positive instead of negative."

"Agreed." Leaning back against his pillow Connor's yellow L.E.D. finally returned to blue as he began to relax and drift off to sleep. "I've come to understand that moving on from something negative toward something positive is the best way to heal."

"Damn right. Get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning, kid. You did good."

"Thank you, Hank."

"And for the record," turning off the light by the opened doorway Hank gave Connor a simple nod of the head. "I'm glad you pulled through, son. I don't know what I would've done without you keeping me focused on what's important."

Smirking a little Connor truly felt more at ease and appreciated Hank's kindness. "I can assure you I feel the same. Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, son."

Closing his eyes Connor folded his hands neatly atop his chest as he engaged rest mode and felt his processors shutting down one at a time. Just as he was about to drift off to a much needed and peaceful sleep Markus's voice popped into his head, and addressed him in a calm tone.

' _Connor, I wanted to let you know that Belinda has been taken into a secured facility to receive treatment and help her come to terms with her previous trauma_. _North is going to speak to her directly and help her find peace so she can move on_.'

' _Thank you for letting me know, Markus_. _Everyone deserves a second chance_.'

' _Yeah_. _We're both experts on seconds chances, aren't we my friend_?'

Smirking in the dark at the optimistic comment Connor agreed entirely. ' _And making sure those chances aren't squandered_.'

' _Take care of yourself, Connor_. _I'll see you soon_.'

' _You do the same._ ' Feeling secured and safe in his previous decisions and motivations Connor pressed his palms down over still beating heart and relaxed into a peaceful and deep sleep. The seven innocent deviants were all saved and the only dangerous deviant had been secured away. ' _Goodnight, Markus_.'

That night there was no guilt to haunt Connor's dreams and no regret to disrupt his sleep.

Deep down inside he knew that in time everything will be alright.

_**-End of Story-** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you figure it out?
> 
> Belinda means "snake" so that's a clue for anyone who looks into names.
> 
> Belinda was messing with her tights as if uncomfortable. Almost like she had hastily redressed herself after taking the shot.
> 
> She was also the only one to speak up when Hank found her. You'd think the other hostages would've been panicking and begging for help, not silent, right?
> 
> Belinda was also the only one who didn't have a massive change in her "career", almost as if she was unable to move on from the past.
> 
> Keep in mind the deviants who sided with Markus and Jericho were all afraid of Connor which means they knew he was the 'Deviant Hunter', and as such they'd also look into his past to figure out who he is and his motivations. His history as a hostage negotiator and Daniel's demise would also be known and make him hated.


End file.
